Margin Call: Fat lady sings on defamation drama after Alan Jones apologises to Louise Herron

Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron. Aaron Francis/The Australian

Peace, or at least a détente, has broken out between Sydney Opera House boss Louise Herron and her broadcasting nemesis Alan Jones.

Margin Call has been reliably informed that Herron will not pursue legal action against the Fairfax radio breakfast host.

That’s a relief for Fairfax (FXJ) shareholders.

There was understandable speculation Herron might take defamation action against Jones, a legal course that last month earned Queensland’s wealthy Wagner family an eye-raising $3.75 million damages payout.

On his show this morning, Jones apologised for his recent broadcasts about Herron’s lack of enthusiasm for a scheme cooked up by NSW sports minister Stuart Ayres and Peter V’landys’ Racing NSW to plaster the Opera House with promotion for this Saturday’s The Everest horse race.

“I used some words in these programs about The Everest, and the Opera House, and Louise, which in hindsight I now most regret hearing, having heard the impact they’ve clearly had on some people,” Jones told his listeners.

Jones, Australia’s most energetic letter writer, also told his loyal audience he would today write a letter to Herron to underline his remorse.

In a brief interview on Friday that began the drama, Jones warned Herron: “If you can’t come to the party, Louise, you should lose your job.”

This was followed up on Monday morning with an excoriating 14-minute long character assassination of the arts administrator.

The audio of Monday’s radio missile — titled “Alan Jones responds to Opera House furore” — has been taken down from the website of the Fairfax-controlled radio station 2GB.

Today’s outbreak of contrition and the removal of the audio clip followed Margin Call’s report that Herron — a former partner at top-tier legal firm MinterEllison — had meet with lawyers to discuss her options.

All ancient history now.