SCA suspends advertising on 2DAY FM

Southern Cross Austereo has suspended all advertising from 2Day FM while it discusses the fall out from the royal prank with advertisers.

SCA spokesperson Sandy Kaye has told radioinfo all advertising has been suspended until Monday out of respect for advertisers, who have received some terrible comments about the tragic death of the UK nurse.

At a media conference today, SCA’s CEO Rhys Holleran said that the on air duo are “completely shattered” about what has happened.

Mr Holleran said the nurse’s death was “a tragic event that could not have reasonably been foreseen … we are confident we haven’t done anything illegal.”

Earlier, Coles cancelled its current 2Day advertising, saying on Facebook: “We understand Australians are clearly angry and upset by what appear to be tragic consequences of the 2Day FM hospital prank. We have wanted to let you know we have instructed 2Day FM to remove all Coles group advertising from the station as soon as possible.”

Speaking on 3AW this weekend, former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, who is now chairman of the mental health orgaisation Beyond Blue, says the Austereo pair will need support to come through this themselves. “We don’t know what drove [the nurse] to a shocking conclusion… but nothing [Mel and Mike] did was offensive, it was a joke, a prank, never intended to have these ramifications…”

Edited video of Rhys Holleran’s Media Conference from Fairfax Media is below.

Jeff Kennett talks to 3AW about the the “very harmless prank that has now had the most extraordinarily sad circumstances.”