Hadley’s bumper new contract, petition for 2GB to keep Chris Smith

Former Assistant Editor

With Macquarie Media‘s announcement that Alan Jones will remain at 2GB for two more years, Ray Hadley’s touted move to Breakfast will have to wait.

The pain of the delay will be softened by a pay increase that sees Hadley move to $4m per year contract, as The Daily Telegraph reports.

The increase was reportedly negotiated while Macquarie planned to pull Hadley into Brekky and Steve Price into Mornings, but Nine’s purchase of Macquarie’s parent company Fairfax put an end to those plans..

The Tele also reports that Nights host Steve Price will get a pay bump from July 1, despite also staying in his same slot.

Meanwhile, a petition has begun for 2GB to keep presenter Chris Smith on Afternoons.

The change.org petition has over 800 signatures at the time of writing, and follows reports that Macquarie plans to axe Smith.

Smith responded to speculation over his future last week, admitting he is “in discussion with management at the moment about my future and I really do hope to have some good news soon.”

He remained on air on Thursday, but didn’t present his show last Friday. Smith was scheduled to fly to the USA on the weekend, for a trip that will include a cruise from New York to London accompanied by about 100 his listeners.

When asked for comment, Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang told Radio Today; “While we do not comment on individual presenters and their agreements, Chris has addressed on air the claims made in a newspaper article today.”

The Tele reports that Macquarie’s first choice of replacement for Smith is Today‘s Deb Knight, but prying her away from TV could be a tough ask.

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