New talkback moguls open to Ray Hadley’s return
Craig Laundy, the new owner of radio stations 2GB and 3AW, has opened the door for veteran shock gig Ray Hadley’s return to the airwaves, with the pub scion vowing not to let his personal moderate Liberal policies interfere with presenters’ on-air commentary.
Laundy, which announced last week that it had made a deal to buy the stations from family office Nine for $56 million, said the former 2GB morning The server could be on the network in some form when the deal closes in the middle of this year.
Laundy said the future of Hadley, who was still on Nine’s payroll, was discussed during negotiations over the sale and that station managers “had a plan for Ray and what they wanted him to do in that contract, but again that’s management’s decision and I won’t interfere with the day-to-day business.” [business decisions].”
“Ray is currently under contract with the network as of the date of the acquisition,” Laundy said. “Management will sit down and decide whether to extend the contract and what Ray will do next.”
Hadley, a top pitcher for decades, signed a multimillion-dollar contract extension through the end of 2026 three years ago. He resigned a year later in 2024 with two years and about $7 million remaining on that deal. Nine, the owner of this imprint, continued to make payments to him under this contract.
Hadley produces content for crosstown rival Daily Telegraph since it was changed morning Mark Levy delivers similar ratings at a significantly lower salary, sources said Friday.
Hadley, who last week signaled she was open to returning to broadcast, faced 2GB of bullying allegations from two employees who settled the allegations against her.
Hadley had previously apologized for her behavior. Following the publication of an independent report into Nine’s workplace culture in 2024, Hadley said he was an example of workplace behavior change, citing his “pretty solid” way of dealing with past issues.
Although 2GB management will discuss Hadley’s options, Laundy cautioned that he and his family have purchased 2GB and other stations for their current on-air rosters.
“What I do know is that 2GB of live streaming capability is what we based our decision to purchase the asset on, because they are performing and delivering really well, and we have no plans to tell management what that layout or structure should look like.”
Laundy, a moderate Liberal MP from 2013 to 2019, said he would not interfere with the stations’ editorial line and that each presenter would decide how much time to devote to political issues such as Pauline Hanson and the rise of One Nation.
“I’m listening, and because they signed up to vote, it registers very high in the mind of the interviewer and the host of the day. If it’s something they feel like they want to talk about, that’s what they’re going to do,” Laundy said.
The former federal minister for small and family business said he remained a “proud, card-carrying member”. [the Liberal Party]”, but he won’t stand in the way of hosts interviewing the far-right One Nation party, whose immigration-heavy rhetoric has helped him edge the Liberals in the polls.
“Whatever the homeowner sees fit, even if they think it’s worth talking about, having seen the survey results, and even if the customers agree with them and put their finger on it, it’s definitely going to be talked about,” Laundy said.
During his time in parliament, Laundy occasionally lobbied cabinet ministers to increase the intake of refugees and asylum seekers, and co-chaired the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine group, although he took the Liberal Party line in votes in the House of Representatives.
He said it would be “politically foolish” for the Liberals in Parliament not to support leader Sussan Ley, who has come under fire after the party struggled in last year’s election.
“I really hope they can get behind Sussan,” said Laundy, who is Malcolm Turnbull’s chief lieutenant in parliament. “I don’t think she’s been given enough clean oxygen since taking on the leadership role, and given the difficulties they had in tactically reaching female voters at the last federal election, I don’t think the smart way to move forward and solve this problem would be to get rid of the party’s first female leader.”
Laundy, the son of bar, slot machine and hotel baron Arthur Laundy, 84, said his family could not imagine putting a “limit” on what was and was not acceptable content on broadcast.
He said he would act as a conduit between current Nine Radio chief executive Tom Malone, who acts as chief executive of the new company, and the “informal board” made up of senior members of the Laundy Family Office. Sales chief Brian Gallagher will also remain with the company.
Arthur Laundy, who was involved in the deal, said the deal could also benefit the family’s wider business interests without harming editorial freedom.
“We love talkback radio,” Laundy said. “We love the platform and the way it works and if this is released from a listed environment, let’s face it, it will be a small part of a huge machine and we are moving it so that it will be the only part of the Laundy family machine in this area.”
“We can implement and encourage entrepreneurial thinking and encourage access to family business ownership rather than corporate ownership. We think this can also be a good business in the future.”
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect with: X or email.
