Lawrence Mooney sues Triple M for more than $1 million in damages

Former Triple M Sydney breakfast host Lawrence Mooney is seeking damages after his $83,333 a month contract with Triple M ended 13 months early.

Comedian Lawrence Mooney was host of the Triple M breakfast show in Sydney until November 2021. Picture: Richard Dobson

Former Triple M Sydney breakfast host Lawrence Mooney is suing his employer for more than $1m in damages after he was sacked from the station less than one year into his fixed-term ­contract.

Mooney is taking legal action against Southern Cross Austereo, the owner of Triple M, in the NSW Supreme Court after the company dismissed him last November and provided him little explanation as to why he was abruptly shown the door.

The comedian was hired by the station in 2019 to host the Moonman in the Morning breakfast show alongside co-hosts Jess Eva and Chris Page.

In court documents seen by The Australian, Mooney had a two-year contract to run from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022, and his remuneration was a base fee of $1m plus GST per annum, which equates to $83,333 plus GST a month.

The 56-year-old was also entitled to incentive fees of up to $540,000 plus GST annually.

The incentives came into effect if the breakfast show achieved an audience share in the radio ratings of six percentage points or above, or was No.1 in the male 25-54 ­category.

One bonus was worth $150,000 if the breakfast show was able to achieve an audience share of nine or above for the first time.

Sydney-based media and ­employment lawyer John Laxon is representing Mooney and the case is due to be in court on ­Thursday.

Mr Laxon said he was waiting with “bated breath” for Southern Cross Austereo’s defence, given it was due by December 20.

Lawrence Mooney is taking legal action against Southern Cross Austereo.

Figures from radio ratings firm GfK showed in the last survey of 2021 that the Triple M Sydney breakfast show recorded an audience share of 4.6.

In two of the eight surveys in 2021, it recorded an audience share above six: this included 6.4 in survey one and 6.7 in survey two.

The court documents stated that Southern Cross Austereo’s chief executive Grant Blackley advised Mooney in a ­letter outlining his termination dated ­Novem­ber 12, 2021, that SCA would pay Mooney’s base fees for the period up to and including November 12, 2021 only.

In the documents, ­Mooney’s lawyers stated: “At no time during the term of the ­contract did Mooney commit any act that would entitle SCA to terminate and/or that could be relied upon by SCA as at the date of the ­purported termination to ­terminate”.

Lawyers have said Southern Cross Austereo breached Mooney’s fixed-term contract and he lost his base salary of $1,083,333.29 plus GST and the chance to earn any applicable incentive fees.

In addition to this, the lawyers also ­stated there was “loss of ­goodwill by reason of Mooney no longer providing the on-air radio performing and announcing ­services”.

In the lead-up to Mooney’s departure from Southern Cross ­Austereo, he vanished from the station for two weeks without any explanation after rumours swirled that he had a rift with co-host Eva.

Once his exit was declared by Southern Cross Austereo, the broadcaster put out a short ­statement, saying: “SCA thanks Mooney for his contribution to the Triple M Network over the past five years.”

Southern Cross Austereo has not yet filed documents in court on the matter.

Mooney would not comment.