Media regulator ACMA is reviewing 3AW presenter Jacqui Felgate’s long list of commercial deals

Melbourne radio 3AW’s new drivetime host has 12 paid commercial deals which weren’t disclosed on the broadcaster’s website and are now under investigation by the regulator.

The media regulator is conducting an investigation after the appointed 3AW broadcaster Jacqui Felgate’s 12 lucrative commercial partnerships were not declared by the Melbourne radio station – which would be a breach of the industry guidelines.

Just 24 hours after The Australian revealed Felgate’s commercial interests had not been listed on 3AW’s website, the station rushed to update her long list of paid deals, which include with BMW, Chemist Warehouse, NAB, the AFL, Melbourne Racing Club, Smile Solutions and Chadstone shopping centre.

Nine has spoken with Felgate about the matter and it is understood she has been issued with the commercial guidelines to ensure they are met.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s commercial radio disclosure standards require that presenters declare their commercial arrangements which are then posted on the station’s website.

The disclosure is for deals worth $25,000 or more per year.

ACMA confirmed to The Australian on Tuesday it was reviewing the matter with the Nine Entertainment-owned station.

“The ACMA is contacting the licensee (Nine) to confirm its register of agreements is up to date,” a spokesman said.

Just last week 3AW announced Felgate, who joined the station in 2022 after leaving Channel 7, as its new drivetime show host.

She has been doing food reviews, football commentary and filling in as a presenter across numerous weekday programs for 3AW.

A statement by the station last Monday said Felgate was a “multi award-winning journalist with 20 years’ experience in broadcast, radio and print” and she would replace Tom Elliott in the station’s drive slot in 2024.

Elliott will replace veteran mornings host Neil Mitchell, who leaves his program in December.

Veteran broadcaster and Herald Sun columnist Steve Price said it was “problematic” for a host to have such a large number of commercial arrangements because it potentially comprised them as a broadcaster.

“3AW has a big problem here because they’ve announced the replacement who has been running a social media career to bolster her income in between her TV job and radio job, and it’s caught up with her and it’s caught up with them,” he said.

“They need to address it.

“It’s difficult for someone who takes over on a news talkback show to have that many potentially compromising commercial attachments.”

The guidelines state these lucrative arrangements must be disclosed by someone who is on air for more than three hours a week over a four-week period.

Felgate, who is a prolific user of social media, has 258,000 Instagram followers and her account is littered with paid posts and partnerships as well as numerous freebies she has been gifted, including weekend stays and clothing.

Just last week she was spruiking Coles supermarkets and Flybuys on her Instagram account and wrote: “Your Flybuys can take you and three others from the supermarket to Hollywood.

“Scan your Flybuys and receive an entry for every $30 spent in one transaction.” She then provided a link for her followers to enter.

However the paid partnership was not named in her list of commercial deals on 3AW’s website.

On the 3AW site it now declares that she has 12 declared commercial partnerships: BMW, NAB, Maybelline, Chemist Warehouse, Chadstone shopping centre, Melbourne Racing Club, Ceres Life, All Kinds, La Roche Posay, Villawood Property, Off The Track and Smile Solutions.

When 3AW was asked why Felgate’s lucrative commercial details were not listed on its website last week, a spokeswoman would not comment.

Under the disclosure standards, presenters must provide details of the parties to agreement and obligations under the agreement.

Also, Felgate’s commercial arrangement with National Australia Bank says within the agreement that the deal is with the AFL.

It is unclear why this is declared as a NAB deal.

3AW sacked afternoons host Dee Dee Dunleavy in June, despite her having top ratings in her timeslot and Felgate has been among a rotating roster of hosts, including Heidi Murphy, Tony Moclair and Elise Elliott, have been filling in.

Moclair will be the new afternoons host in 2024.

Of 3AW’s commercial agreements, breakfast host Russel Howcroft has a deal with Sayers Group, Tom Elliott with Beulah Capital and Denis Walter with Tobin Brothers and Prestige Jayco.

A Nine spokeswoman said it was “an innocent oversight by 3AW which led to this breakdown of process”.

“The Commercial Agreements register has since been updated, and we have reviewed our procedures to ensure compliance,” the spokeswoman said.

“We have only just reached agreement with Jacqui about her role next year, and there is understandably a period of transition, where she has to honour existing third party agreements, as we move towards her taking on drive in January 2024.”