Re: Alan Jones is a Disgrace

[Freddy]

Pollies condemn Jones' Gillard remark

Date
September 30, 2012 - 11:23AM

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Political figures past and present, including Liberal frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, have condemned comments made by radio shock jock Alan Jones about Prime Minister Julia Gillard's late father.

The 2GB breakfast show host was recorded saying Mr Gillard died of shame because his daughter was a liar during a speech to 100 members of the Sydney University Liberal Club President’s dinner.

Jones will be giving a press conference later this morning at the radio station.

Mr Turnbull has demanded that Jones apologise.
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‘‘Alan Jones’ comments about the late John Gillard were cruel and offensive,’’ he wrote on Twitter.

‘‘He should apologise to the PM and her family.’’

Former federal Labor leader Mark Latham has told Sky News the comments were unsurprising from the radio station which had a long consistent hate session on Ms Gillard.

Mr Latham says it’s part of what former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown described as the hate media while Premier O’Farrell says politicians’ families are ‘‘innocent bystanders’’ and shouldn’t be dragged in to political debates.

Labor defence secretary Mike Kelly also wrote on Twitter: ‘‘Gillard’s father died of shame: Alan Jones. What can you say to this? How much lower can a shock jock go.’’

Rival broadcaster Derryn Hinch tweeted: ‘‘Alan Jones comments about PM and her father are a disgrace. Mortified to be in the same profession’’.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said he expected Jones to apologise.

‘‘I’ve heard indecent things in politics but never something as thoroughly indecent as this,’’ Senator Carr told Network Ten.

But Senator Carr said Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also owed the prime minister an apology.

‘‘It is vital that Tony Abbott apologise for that utterance made at a Liberal Party meeting and do it today.’’

Senator Carr said Mr Abbott should also send a message to the Liberal Party extremists who cheered, applauded and laughed at Jones’ statement.

‘‘Tony Abbott ought to make it clear that those people are denounced by him as well.’’

The Australian Greens say they will not appear on Jones’ show and called on the other parties to make the same commitment.

‘‘The Australian body politic should disassociate itself from Alan Jones,’’ Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt said.

‘‘This is not political commentary, it’s hate media, pure and simple.’’

Fellow conservative commentator Andrew Bolt called the comments ‘‘shameful’’ and said Jones should apologise.

Former Liberal foreign minister Alexander Downer said Jones should ‘‘have a heart’’.

‘‘I’m sure there will be some sort of apology at some point,’’ Mr Downer said on Network Ten.

Jones, who works for Sydney-based 2GB, is no stranger to controversy.

In August 2011 he was referred to the media watchdog after saying that Ms Gillard, the then Greens senator Bob Brown and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore should be thrown into the sea in a chaff bag.

He escaped censure for those comments but he was found guilty of breaching the radio code of practice by making unsubstantiated comments about climate change.

AAP

Read more: www.theage.com.au/national/pollies-condemn-jones-gillard-remark-20120930-26t4r.html#ixzz27uvktN8y

[Freddy]

Alan Jones has no shame, but what about Tony Abbott?

Date
September 30, 2012 - 12:01PM
Category
Opinion

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Peter FitzSimons

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Tony Abbott and Alan Jones embrace at an anti-carbon tax rally in Canberra in August 2011.

Tony Abbott and Alan Jones embrace at an anti-carbon tax rally in Canberra in August 2011. Photo: Andrew Meares

Every time you think 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones has gone as low as he can go, he sets a new benchmark ever deeper in his now obviously bottomless barrel.

Not enough that he has already talked of putting the Prime Minister “into a chaff bag and hoisting her into the Tasman Sea,” or that he has said that the country needs to “bring back the guillotine,” to deal with her, and that across the country “women are wrecking the joint". Now, before an audience of Sydney University Young Liberals last weekend at the Watermark Restaurant at Balmoral he has referred to the grieving PM's late father, John Gillard – a man who was obviously very close to, and extremely proud, of his daughter – and said that he, “died a few weeks ago of shame".

The unspeakably vicious nastiness of it, the sheer bully-boy misogyny of saying such a thing, simply takes the breath away, even for those of us who spent fair chunks of time around the unvarnished Jones.
Alan Jones speaks at an anti-Clover Moore rally in August.

Alan Jones speaks at an anti-Clover Moore rally in August. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Equally staggering is the reaction to his remarks: laughter amidst the gasps. But where was the person who did what needed to be done, which was to stand up and walk out, loudly protesting that by speaking in this manner Jones not only disgraced himself, but also the once proudly courteous party of Sir Robert Menzies? Where was the Sydney University Young Liberals President, Alex Dore, who had invited Jones to the function, publicly dissociating his club from those vicious words?
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Instead, the club cravenly tweeted the next day: “Brilliant speech by Alan Jones last night. It's no wonder he's the nation's most influential broadcaster!”

Equally appalling was the non-reaction of the two senior Liberal politicians in the room, both at the time and subsequently. No protest on the night. And on Saturday, State Liberal MP Ray Williams told the Sun-Herald's Heath Aston, that he couldn't recall the remark. Nor, apparently, could the President of the Young Liberals, Simon Fontana. How very, very convenient. Perhaps they also missed that one of the auction items on the night was a “Chaff bag jacket, signed by Alan Jones". This is funny? This is acceptable, from a party already under attack because of a growing perception that its leader Tony Abbott is misogynistic?

In fact, as this columnist noted at the time, Tony Abbott was nothing less than magnificent in Parliament a fortnight ago, with the dignity and grace with which he honoured the Prime Minister's loss, noting of John Gillard that, “It is a remarkable parent who produces a prime minister of this country.”

So now let him stand up and say out loud what needs to be said: “The remarks of Alan Jones at the Liberal Party function were a disgrace, as was the reaction of some of the audience. Robust debate within the Australian political discourse is fine, but viciously personal insults of this nature have no part of it.”

We're waiting, Mr Abbott. Let's hear it.

And let's hear from 2GB and its sponsors, like Challenger. Do you, or do you not want to be associated with this vicious, woman-hating bully?

It is not women who are destroying the joint. It is the volcanic bile that continues to pour from Jones.
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Read more: www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/alan-jones-has-no-shame-but-what-about-tony-abbott-20120930-26t5d.html#ixzz27uw0IEQO

[Freddy]

Wow; this is one comment that Jones made in his televised "apology":

“Mrs Gillard, Julia’s mother is reported to have said, ‘Many of the problems Julia faced weighed heavily upon her father,what does that mean? I think she was referring to all the problems I have told you about today with the Gillard government.”

Keep on digging Jones.

[pim]

Yes the man is a disgrace. I'm listening to his "apology" as I type this. During his statement he refused to name Julia Gillard by name or by her title. Only in response to questions. He also said his comments "shouldn't have been repeated". Repeated?? He shouldn't have made the bloody comments in the fist place!!

[Freddy]

His apology, if you can call it that, was embarrassing.
All about him, from the bits that I saw.

[slartibartfast]

Is he floggg in real life?

Many similarities!

[Freddy]

Sept 30, 2012 14:52:12 GMT 11 slartibartfast said:

Is he floggg in real life?

Many similarities!

possible an Uncle.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones loves Women so much that ...............

[Dragonfly]

I agree this man certainly went to far! Losing a loved one is hurtful enought she didn't deserve this.

[zombie]

Jones is spawned by low wit conservatism under Abbott, this hate that conservatism is promoting should be taken of air and out of media.

Time to sack Jones and Abbott and rebuild decency in conservative politics.

[Earl Grey]

This is good to see!

A number of sponsors have pulled the pin on Alan Jones / 2GB

Alan Jones loses sponsor in wake of controversy

Date
October 1, 2012 - 11:01AM



Alan Jones at his press conference yesterday. Photo: Dean Sewell

The investment management firm Challenger has this morning cancelled its advertising relationship with Alan Jones's Sydney radio program.

Challenger has advertised with the Alan Jones program since February 2011. A spokesman for the company said the demographics of Jones's audience made it a good fit.

The firm, which manages in excess of $33 billion in assets, had been considering the move from the moment it became aware of Jones's claim that John Gillard, father of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, had "died of shame" over his daughter's "lies".

The spokesman said this morning that, informed an apology was coming, the company withheld judgment. But after Jones delivered his cavilling apology yesterday, in which he spent the bulk of his 40 minutes attacking the Prime Minister, Challenger's management team concluded they had no choice but to end their relationship with the 71-year-old broadcaster.


"They were deeply hurtful comments and we're not sure the apology reflected the degree of offence they would have caused," the spokesman said.

Mercedes-Benz Australia said on Facebook this morning it would drop support from the show.

"Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific has instructed its dealers to cease any form of advertising on the Alan Jones show as our company does not condone such inappropriate comments," the post said.

Freedom Furniture Australia also posted their response on Facebook: "In light of our customer feedback, and after internal review - we would like to confirm that Freedom has withdrawn advertising from 2GB."

Woolworths said on Facebook: "To be clear, we do not and have not recently sponsored this program.

"From time to time we have had advertising during this program, however, this morning we have made a decision to suspend this advertising."

Read more: www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/alan-jones-loses-sponsor-in-wake-of-controversy-20121001-26ugl.html#ixzz280S8T09O

[Earl Grey]

People power at work...

2AY dumps Alan Jones
By ANTHONY BUNN
Oct. 1, 2012, 12:39 p.m


12:20PM: ALBURY radio station 2AY has dumped Alan Jones from its line-up, after the Sydney talkback host said Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father had died of shame over his daughter.
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The AM station reacted this morning following a flood of negative feedback from listeners upset that Jones made derogatory comments about the Prime Minister's father.

Instead of Jones' usual highlights show airing from noon to 1pm, today listeners were treated to the Easy Listening Lunch which will replace the former Australian rugby union coach's program.

2AY boss Mark Taylor said the response from listeners made the decision simple and it would not be revisited.

Fellow Riverina station 2QN, based in Deniliquin, has also dropped Jones's show from its schedule.


www.bordermail.com.au/story/369017/2ay-dumps-alan-jones/?cs=53

[pim]

All of the above is, of course, nice to hear and Jones deserves every bit of the bucketing that's currently being dumped on him.

He's more of a paper tiger than you realise, however, as these stats from a footnote in this Drum op ed piece show:

Jones's 17.5% share certainly leads the breakfast 'talk' market in Sydney by a healthy margin, but the hard numbers show him to be a far from dominant voice. For the first survey period of 2006 his average audience was around 185,000 people. That's from a potential market of 3.75 million listeners.

The underlying flimsiness of the Jones paper tiger is further confirmed by the demographics of his audience. Around 70% of Jones's listeners are aged over 40. A whopping 49% are over 55. In party-political terms, that means just 7% of his average audience - around 12,750 people - fall within the accepted 'swinging voter' demographic of 18-39. Of these, no more than 10% are likely to change their vote from election to election. That's a grand total of 1,250 people spread over Sydney's 25 federal electorates.


www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4288824.html

[zombie]

Alan Jones frontal lobes are going...every time he has few drinks the engine is racing but he's not connecting the gears....my bet is he will fall to Alzheimer's....

[Freddy]

I agree that Jones is a paper tiger, Pim, but what does that say about the Sydney Centric nature of the MSM, let alone Jones own overinflated ego ?

[pim]

Good! We agree that Jones is a paper tiger! That means he should be easy for politicians to say NO to without running scared from him. Otherwise he's not a paper tiger.