A golden mic, a 'clunky start' but Sandilands returns to the air

In short: NSW Premier Chris Minns has dropped into radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands's first show since being sacked from his radio program earlier this year. The subscription-based show went to air on Monday morning amid a few minor technical hiccups. It comes just weeks after Sandilands accepted a multi-million-dollar out-of-court settlement from a wrongful termination case he brought against KIIS FM owners ARN Media. "The golden microphone is on" were the five words that heralded a new era for Kyle Sandilands, but not everything went to plan. When he moved his lips after the introduction, the audience tuning in for his new digital program heard nothing, with dead air lingering for five seconds. The moment was emblematic of the teething issues that plagued the beginning of Kyle Sandilands Live, the subscription-only podcast looking to reinvent the controversial shock jock after his decades on commercial radio came to an end earlier this year. "Well hi, we're off to a clunky start everyone,"Sandilands eventually said. As the seasoned presenter ploughed on to introduce the show's new personalities, audio played loudly and for a touch too long, briefly drowning Sandilands's commentary. "The brand new Kyle Sandilands Live program, it is a new invention, it is live, we're all here," Sandilands said. "And it's a digital mess behind the scenes." Dead air, echoing audio and other teething issues His longtime friend and manager Bruno Bouchet chimed in. He had skipped sleep over the course of a week to help develop the show. "If everything went smoothly, it would've been worse, not sleeping … and everything like that," Mr Bouchet said. "But you know, it all went to shit." Sandilands pushed back: "It didn't go to shit, I just can't hear, I can't hear any audio. "I would imagine … the man speaking behind the microphone should be the main one that hears what's going on." The show's first few minutes acknowledged the efforts that come with building a podcast quickly, as Sandilands tried to capitalise on media interest from a settled court dispute, and popularity from his radio and TV career. NSW premier shows support by being first guest New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited the show as the inaugural guest, bringing with him "golden" scissors for a ribbon cutting. But subscribers barely got to witness the moment, as it took place in the background and was obscured by a pylon and staff member. Sandilands praised Mr Minns for being a Labor politician with appeal beyond his party, and brought up a recent chance meeting in the Blue Mountains. He also asked the premier for his opinion on his old show's cancellation. "I was worried for you, I was worried about the show," Mr Minns said. "There's not many shows in radio or TV or ratings history that don't keep going when they're number one. "I was concerned for you, but I'm glad this is up and running, this is fantastic." Sandilands described the program as a work in progress. "Well would you call it up and running? I feel it's half up and running." The dawn of a new Kyle Sandilands show Six months have passed since an on-air dispute with Sandilands's longtime radio co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson led to the eventual demise of his breakfast show on Kiss FM. In February, owner ARN Media told the Australian Stock Exchange Jackie O had "given notice that she cannot continue to work with Mr Sandilands". It signalled the ending of radio contracts with the duo paid a combined $200 million. Separate wrongful termination cases were launched by Sandilands and Jackie O against ARN Media in the Federal Court. Sandilands settled his dispute with his former employer in June for $12.09 million, well under the $85 million he initially sought. The deal also included a provision where ARN Media would receive 19.9 per cent of the revenue from Kyle Sandilands Live for three years, in exchange for providing $1.5 million in advertising. Jackie O has not settled her dispute and was seeking $82 million in compensation for wrongful termination.