All four Nine Radio stations under scrutiny by media regulator amid Jacqui Felgate sponsorships saga

Nine Radio’s four major stations are all under scrutiny by the media regulator for failing to disclose lucrative partnerships held by numerous broadcasters.

Nine Radio’s four major stations – 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR – are all under scrutiny by the media regulator for failing to disclose lucrative partnerships held by numerous broadcasters, with some deals dating back several years.

Nine Entertainment’s radio arm, led by managing director Tom Malone, remains in turmoil amid the fallout following revelations that 12 lucrative paid deals held by newly-appointed 3AW drive host Jacqui Felgate were not disclosed by the station.

This is despite Felgate filling in as a program host since June last year.

It has since been revealed that 4BC host Sofie Formica, who took over as Brisbane’s afternoons host in 2021, has a commercial deal with the Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

The deal was only revealed this month although she has held a board position with them since 2019.

In Sydney, 2GB host Ben Fordham is also under investigation by the regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, over an August segment where he revealed he had started Uber driving to earn extra money: however the arrangement was disclosed on the station’s website.

The paid deals, including Felgate’s sponsorships, were only disclosed by 3AW and other Nine Radio stations after The Australian asked why they were not declared.

It can also be revealed ACMA is now seeking information about a paid partnership between Felgate and Virgin Australia.

In June, the 3AW fill-in host posted on Instagram a paid partnership she held with the airline and explained in a short video to her hundreds of thousands of followers how they could “snare interstate flights or treat yourself to some amazing tech, homewares or beauty products for just 1 Virgin Velocity point”.

2GB host Ben Fordham. Picture: 2GB

Two months later on August 2, when she was filling in on the station’s afternoons program, Felgate told her listeners about a “heartwarming experience a Melbourne mother had on a Virgin flight”. She told listeners, “Here’s a little shout out to Virgin” before interviewing Melbourne mother Kim about how flight attendants had helped her get her young son to sleep after an engineering issue delayed the plane.

Felgate later interviewed Virgin cabin member Matthew Satogi, who told listeners how he helped Kim with her crying son.

Felgate said during the interview: “That’s Matthew, he’s a Virgin Australia cabin crew (member) who nursed Kim’s upset son to sleep.”

ACMA confirmed it is reviewing the material and The Australian is not suggesting any wrongdoing.

“The ACMA has requested information from the licensee regarding the matter,” a spokesman said.

The spokesman also said it is “seeking further information from Nine Radio about compliance with the Broadcasting Services (Commercial Radio Current Affairs Disclosure) Standard 2022 and the requirement to keep up-to-date disclosure registers”.

Felgate will take over 3AW’s drive slot permanently in 2024.

Among her deals, disclosed on 3AW’s website on September 11, are BMW, Chemist Warehouse, Melbourne Racing Club, Smile Solutions, Ceres Life and NAB AFL Auskick.

Her management, TLA Worldwide, did not respond to questions about the sponsorships saga that has embroiled the station.

She has also had numerous other deals during her time acting as a fill-in host, including with Plan Japan, Vegemite, Pet Stock, 7 Eleven, Liquorland and Thermomix Australia.

She is a prolific user of social media and has 264,000 Instagram followers, 12,000 TikTok followers and 18,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter.

3AW broadcaster Jacqui Felgate in a social media post promoting sunscreen. Picture: Instagram

On the weekend, Felgate shared a post as part of her paid partnership with fashion label Ceres Life, telling her followers there were “limited sizes available” in the two-piece outfit she was wearing which she said has been “popular”.

ACMA’s disclosure standard states: “Presenters must provide licensees with the details of a commercial agreement within 7 days of entering into an agreement.”

Licensees (radio stations) must also keep information about each commercial agreement for 12 months after the agreement has expired and deals must be disclosed if they are worth more than $25,000 or more per year.

Last week, 6PR also published a deal breakfast host Karl Langdon has had for some time with Parkside Towbars, while a deal between the Brisbane Lions and 4BC breakfast host Mark Hine, who joined the network 15 months ago, was recently disclosed.

It is now understood the deal will be removed from 4BC’s website because it did not meet disclosure standards requirements.

A Nine Radio spokeswoman said it takes its disclosure requirements seriously.

“Nine has continuous disclosure obligations under the standard, which is taken seriously – as can be seen by the recent amendments to our online registers,” she said. “Nine also as part of its systems, processes and procedures conducts training regularly with all relevant staff.”

In 2021, Nine Radio was ordered to conduct formal training about disclosure requirements with 2GB staff, including editorial, sales and content management employees, after an investigation found that during broadcasts of Alan Jones’s breakfast show, there was a failure to disclose a sponsorship deal the station had with The Star Entertainment Group.

The broadcaster discussed a Ritz-Carlton development, which was a project commissioned by The Star.