Karl Stefanovic to Kyle Sandilands: ‘I can’t believe you’re still on radio’

Karl Stefanovic has had a swipe at Kyle Sandilands over the “absurd” amount the star is getting paid despite his controversial behaviour.

Kyle Sandilands and Karl Stefanovic.

Karl Stefanovic has taken a cheeky swipe at Kyle Sandilands over the radio star’s massive pay rise.

News.com.au exclusively revealed yesterday that Kyle and Jackie O had extended their contracts with KIIS FM in a deal that would see them remain on air until the end of 2024.

Both hosts will get paid between $7 to $8 million each per year and, with bonuses factored in, Kyle could potentially make $50 million from the deal.

The radio personality was the star attraction at today’s Radio Alive conference in Brisbane where he was interviewed on stage by Karl Stefanovic in front of industry professionals from all around Australia.

Kyle Sandilands at Australian Commercial Radio Conference in Brisbane.

The former Today co-host, who was axed from the Channel 9 breakfast show in December 2018, kicked off the presentation by referencing Kyle’s recent controversial comments about Virgin Mary.

“I think the whole world has gone absolutely crazy,” Stefanovic said. “I got divorced and sacked, and you offend two of the world’s great religions and get $8 million!”

As the room erupted in laughter, Kyle said about his reported salary, “I think you’re underselling me a bit there”.

The two media heavyweights spoke on stage for an hour in a thoroughly entertaining session.

These were the highlights:

NO PREPARATION WHATSOEVER

News.com.au revealed yesterday that Kyle’s new contract will see him earn $39,000 for every single radio show he does on KIIS FM. That’s $195,000 per week.

That’s not bad for a man who, by his own admission, only gets to work 15 minutes before his show starts and does no preparation at all.

“If you’ve ever worked with me you’ll know I do very little to zero preparation,” Kyle said on stage. “There’s a method to that, it’s not just laziness.

“I like to hear things as a listener. Everyone else is very well prepared … I like to go in with virgin ears and hear everything for the first time. So if I don’t understand what’s going on … then the odds are the listener is not going to understand either.”

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O in their KIIS FM studio.

HIGH ON MARIJUANA

Kyle and Jackie O stunned the radio industry at the end of 2013 when they announced they were defecting from 2Day FM to rival station Mix 106.5 (which was rebranded as KIIS FM).

Despite being the number one FM breakfast show in Sydney at the time, the duo had heard whispers that 2Day FM was thinking about replacing them.

“They wanted us out,” Kyle said about his bosses at 2Day FM. “So I went home and smoked a sh**load of weed. Then I started making angry phone calls.”

One of the people he called was ARN radio boss Duncan Campbell who oversaw the struggling Mix 106.5 at the time.

“I thought, ‘He’s got the most s**t station in Sydney. What if I took the best show and put it on the most s**t station?’” Kyle said today. “I was so high. I was like, ‘That’s fu**ing genius!’”

Campbell answered the call, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Despite swapping stations, Kyle and Jackie O held onto their number one FM ranking at the start of 2014.

CONTROVERSIES GALORE

Kyle is the most controversial presenter on FM radio and has been for many years.

The broadcaster has been involved in a number of almost career-ending dramas, the most recent being when he joked about the Virgin Mary.

Speaking on stage today, Stefanovic said to Kyle, “In this new media landscape, I can’t believe you’re still on the radio”.

But the radio star said he never sets out to be controversial and isn’t bothered when his name is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“It used to hurt, now I don’t care,” Kyle said about negative press. “Because I know that it doesn’t really matter.

“Someone reads it and goes, ‘Oh, what a fat f**k!’ and then turns the page and then I’m out of their mind. They’re not holding onto it all day.

“I used to panic about it, now I don’t care.”

Protesters outside KIIS FM protesting against comments Kyle Sandilands made about Christians and the Virgin Mary. Picture: David Swift.

RELATED: Kyle apologises for Virgin Mary ‘joke’ that sparked national outrage

Kyle then got sidetracked (and a little X-rated) when he spoke about being even more controversial in his Hot30 days.

“I’d done the night show and we were swearing and masturbating on air,” Kyle said.

The masturbation reference shocked Stefanovic, prompting Kyle to say to the Channel 9 star, “Come on, are you saying in the last year you’ve not jerked off?”

“I haven’t needed to,” quipped Stefanovic, who married Jasmine Yarbrough in Mexico in 2018.

“F**k off!” Kyle laughed. “Just because you don’t need too … I still prefer that (masturbation), just quietly.”

The Australian Commercial Radio Awards are on tomorrow night in Brisbane. The big award of the night is Best On Air Team which Kyle and Jackie O are nominated for along with Nova’s Kate, Tim and Marty, WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda, Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Byron, Nova’s Chrissie, Sam and Browny and Triple M’s Kennedy Molloy.

You can see the full list of nominees here.