Satirical group The Chaser has projected an “Advertise Here” sign onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House, including the words “Call Alan” in reference to 2GB shock jock Alan Jones.
See... it really is a great billboard. Jorn Utzon would be so proud.
The team had spent a day, ah, chasing a big projector as the controversy over Racing NSW being able to promote The Everest horse race on the sails of the landmark dominated the news.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian overruled a decision by the Opera House not to allow the logo or the names of the horses to be projected onto the sails during the barrier draw, which will happen at the Opera House on Tuesday night.
Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys has argued that the event would promote Sydney to the world, and the projections would only last for five minutes, followed by a 55-minute light show.
The race is at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.
A Change.org petition with over 230,000 signatures backing the Opera House’s original call was delivered to New South Wales Parliament on Tuesday morning.
After sunrise on the Today Show, @MjwCoach delivered his 235k @ChangeAus petition to save the Opera House from becoming Alan Jones and the gambling lobby’s billboard to NSW parliament this morning. Over to you, @GladysB ! https://t.co/qAR4Tj3vDh
A protest is planned at the Opera House on Tuesday evening, with a Facebook event encouraging people to bring their own lights in an attempt to spoil the projections.
The Daily Telegraph, which has been backing The Everest light display, said that police will increase security at the Opera House ahead of the expected protest.
Much of the anger about the use of the Opera House sails for advertising has stemmed from the way Jones, the biggest proponent for the event, treated Opera House CEO Louise Herron in an interview late last week.
“We own the Opera House. Do you get that message? You don’t. You manage it,” Jones told Herron.
Jones suggested that if he was the NSW premier, he would “pick up the phone and sack [Herron] today”.
Herron calmly explained it wasn’t a billboard.
“Who said? You,” Jones replied. “Who the hell do you think … who do you think you are?”
Jones doubled down on Monday, saying that how he treated Herron was no different to how he would have treated a man in the same interview, and said it was just “strident criticism” and not bullying.
But then on Tuesday morning, Jones said on his 2GB radio show that he regretted the words he used.
“I used some words in these programs about the Everest, and the Opera House, and Louise, which in hindsight I now most regret hearing, having heard the impact they’ve clearly had on some people.”
There had been a push for advertisers to boycott 2GB over Jones’ behaviour, and the Australian reported on Tuesday Herron had been meeting with her lawyers about the interview.
In August, Jones and two of the radio stations he broadcasts on were ordered to pay $3.4 million to four members of a Queensland family after a court found he had defamed them.