Sydney — ARN Media officially terminated its services agreement with Kyle Sandilands’ company, Quasar Media, on the morning of Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The dismissal triggers a legal dispute over one of the highest-paying talent deals in Australian radio, effectively halting the broadcast of the nation’s top-rated morning entertainment program.
Sandilands immediately and publicly rejected the dismissal. Releasing a statement on Wednesday, the broadcaster stated: “I don’t accept it. My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.”
The termination occurred immediately following the Tuesday expiration of a 14-day “show cause” deadline issued by ARN. The network had required Sandilands to remedy an alleged “act of serious misconduct.” The contract termination and the impending legal confrontation have been verified by major news agencies, including AAP, 7NEWS, and The Guardian.
The dispute traces back to a live broadcast on February 20, 2026. During the segment, Sandilands berated his long-time co-host, Jackie “O” Henderson, criticizing her for looking up Prince Andrew’s horoscope. On air, he told Henderson she was “off with the fairies” and failing at her job.
On March 3, 2026, ARN terminated Henderson’s contract after she formally notified the network that she could no longer work with Sandilands. Following her exit, the network pulled the morning show off the air.
The Wednesday termination involves significant financial commitments. Sandilands is currently in the second year of a 10-year, $100 million individual contract, which is part of a broader $200 million deal negotiated for the duo that runs until 2034. Sandilands has publicly alleged that ARN is using a standard radio argument to intentionally “burn the place down” and escape the contract they signed a year ago.
Compounding the organizational restructuring for ARN Media, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) intervened earlier this week. The regulatory body imposed strict new license conditions on the currently dormant show due to repeated historical decency breaches involving explicit content.