Australia’s representative for Eurovision, Kate Miller-Heidke, has drawn mixed levels of support from listeners with her operatic entry, “Zero Gravity”. And while fans and detractors have, so far, shared their opinions with love, love and peace, peace – it appears that for some Australians, it has led to blows and police intervention.
The Australian reports that Ian Alexander, a long-term radio DJ at a community radio station in Albany, Western Australia, was sacked for playing songs from British band Mumford & Sons and Kate Miller-Heidke. This went against the radio station’s policy of playing songs from the 1950s.
The 71 year old host was taken off the air and escorted from the building following a heated exchange. Perhaps he should have stuck with legendary Eurovision winner Lys Assia or the classic 1958 Italian entry “Volare”.
The suspension followed a confrontational Annual General Meeting in the radio station, where members almost came to blows over a heated leadership vote. Nine police officers were dispatched to calm down the unrest. And you thought the MARUV saga was heated!
Kate Miller-Heidke responded to Ian’s firing, tweeting her sadness for the radio DJ, all while instagramming the infamous shrug emoji. Our queen isn’t here for the drama.
Poor Ian. https://t.co/T989FHm6J7
— Kate Miller-Heidke (@kmillerheidke) March 2, 2019
The songstress has a lot of work ahead of her. Kate has recently revealed that her staging for “Zero Gravity” will change from that of the national final performance.
Do you think the radio station’s actions were unfair? Let us know in the comments below.
Most community DJs don’t get payed its a volunteer job so he wouldn’t have got sacked per se he would have been asked to not return for his next shift . They either do it for the experience or they do it because they enjoy it and it gets them out of the house . At 71 the bloke is probably retired so he is living off of some sort of pension and probably loves what he does . most community radio stations depending upon the licence will have to have some sort of mandated policy with regard to what… Read more »
lol this is really funny
1. Western Australia is basically a different country.
2. It’s “Community” Radio, let the DJs play whatever they want.
3. Why would anyone want to hear nothing but music from the 1950s?
“The 71 year old host was taken off the air and escorted from the building following a heated exchange”
WTF? I can’t argue the DJ shouldn’t have played a non-1950’s song going against the radiostation policy, but isn’t that too much? I mean, as @James said below, a sermon would have been on point, but just that. There was probably something behind, I find it too drastical.
I could make a joke about anyone playing “Zero Gravity” should be banned (hate that song), but poor Ian 🙁
This demonstrates an old saying:
“If you tell someone they can’t do something, they are guaranteed to go and do it.”
Ah, the appeal of the banned.
Subjecting people to Mumford & Sons is reason enough to ban people! Anyone who listens to them voluntarily should be punished!
COuld say the same thing about 1950s music
While it could be against policy to play tracks that are not compatible to the format of a radio station, whether you’re playing Top 40 despite your station only playing standard adult contemporary for example, getting a DJ fired in such a manner seems quite extreme.
Couldn’t a sermon just be enough?
Someone is playing Napoleon at that Radio Station… It’s Community Radio; there shouldn’t be any regulations in the first place.
Hear hear.
I would fire someone too for subjecting people to that song.
lmao !! xD
Coincidentally this is also the first time albany has been relevant since the 1950s
They were never relevant in the 1950s. 1850s maybe.