Australian Radio Network previously considered pairing radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson with television host Karl Stefanovic for a breakfast show, court documents have revealed.
The revelation emerged during a pre-trial hearing on Friday in the Federal Court of Australia as part of Henderson's ongoing Fair Work legal action against the broadcasting network, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
During the hearing, Henderson's lawyer, Vanja Bulut, read internal emails circulated among ARN leadership regarding the presenter's future following the collapse of The Kyle & Jackie O Show and her workplace fallout with long-time co-host Kyle Sandilands.
One email read: "Do you see this breakfast show with Karl, just for Sydney only plus iHeart streaming".
Bulut inferred that the reference to "Karl" meant 52-year-old Stefanovic. The internal correspondence discussed whether the proposed program starring Henderson, 51, and Stefanovic should be broadcast nationally or served strictly as a Sydney breakfast staple.
According to Bulut, the proposed breakfast pairing was ultimately shelved "for reasons unknown".
"(The breakfast show) was abandoned for reasons unknown and my client was offered an afternoon show for significantly lower remuneration," Bulut told the court.
Stefanovic was later recruited by ARN to host a program called The Long Weekend alongside veteran broadcaster Eddie McGuire, although that show was cancelled after only a few episodes.
ARN leadership and breakfast radio hosts
Jackie 'O' Henderson is one of Australia's most prominent media personalities, having co-hosted The Kyle & Jackie O Show alongside Kyle Sandilands for more than two decades across Sydney commercial radio networks, including ARN's KIIS FM.
Karl Stefanovic is a veteran Australian journalist and television presenter, best known as the long-serving co-host of Nine Network's morning program Today.
ARN Media, formerly known as Australian Radio Network, is one of Australia's major commercial radio networks, operating stations across capital cities and running the iHeartRadio streaming platform.
Deleted podcast episode and legal arguments
The court proceedings have also focused on a deleted episode of Henderson's podcast, Her Best Life, which has become a new point of contention in the Federal Court dispute.
In newly filed court documents, ARN alleges that 51-year-old Henderson removed a February 4 episode of the podcast in late July or early August, alongside all previous episodes released prior to that date.
In the February 4 recording, Henderson conversed with her co-host and manager, Gemma O'Neill, about several "realisations" she had experienced over the Christmas and New Year period.
According to ARN, Henderson disclosed to O'Neill during the episode that she suddenly knew what decisions she needed to make in her life, including whether to cut ties with someone and make a career change.
ARN is referencing the podcast conversation to argue that Henderson was already contemplating career changes prior to a dramatic on-air fallout with Sandilands on February 20.
The podcast episode was published 16 days before the February 20 incident that ultimately led to the collapse of The Kyle & Jackie O Show. Network lawyers claim Henderson had also decided by February 23 to work on a different program at another time of day.
Contract termination and upcoming trial
Lawyers representing Henderson subsequently submitted formal complaints to ARN regarding her treatment in the workplace, stating that she could no longer work alongside Sandilands.
Her legal team indicated she was willing to remain with ARN provided the company assigned her an alternative broadcast timeslot.
ARN contends that Henderson was attempting to evade her contractual obligations to co-host the breakfast show with Sandilands.
Furthermore, ARN claims Henderson deleted the podcast episode after its contents were raised in legal proceedings, asking the Federal Court to treat the removal as an "admission" that the material was damaging or relevant to her case.
The legal battle centres on Henderson's lucrative broadcasting contract, which ARN formally terminated on March 3.
While Henderson is suing ARN under Fair Work provisions, the network has launched its own counterclaim, alleging that she and her company indicated they would no longer provide contracted services.
The Federal Court of Australia has not yet determined the allegations from either party, with Henderson's case expected to go to trial in October.
