Jonestown by Jonestown; the Power & the Myth of Alan Jones (2006)

Author:Jonestown; the Power & the Myth of Alan Jones (2006)
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781741753202
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd

CHAPTER 13

THE GODFATHER

Any Ambition to Have Children of his own now in the past, Alan Jones is literally godfather to reportedly ‘dozens’ of children, the children of friends, mostly from the sporting community. But through the 1990s in Sydney, Alan Jones became a godfather in another sense.

Australia’s largest urban jungle has its own survival rules. A dominant ethos accommodates a kind of ‘dingo’ principle, which accords respect to Australia’s most cunning and ruthless survivors. Getting on in business, paying your mortgage, dealing with officials and competitors is tough everywhere, and certainly tough enough in Sydney for people to look for an edge. Perhaps the greater density of the jungle leads to a view that easier paths through the strangling systems are more necessary. Or perhaps the law of all cities is, the larger you are the less room there is for standards.

An essential service of the Alan Jones Show was the provision of such shortcuts. Pensioners who had lost a beloved pet or plutocrats whose wealth was threatened might approach Alan. Politicians also beat a path to his door, often secretly allowing Alan Jones the right to advise and prioritise policy. Whether or not they were correct in their estimation, politicians and their minders came to see Jones as a make-or-break force. In the mid 1990s a New South Wales and a federal election changed governments in different directions with, in each case, the Jones factor seen as influential.

The influence Jones was able to exert was less the kind fairly won by an informed and responsible broadcaster. While Alan Jones got things done because a lot of the time he was right, it was also his Godfather-like presence that frightened people into action or submission. The power to come on air and regularly beat up transgressors is hard to counter. Even his station managers did not have an answer. Alan Jones was too important to 2UE to be easily told when to pull his head in.

The lesson learned by many people was to either stay out of his way or find a means to appease him. Flattery was often a good choice. Anyone who did manage to broker a meeting with one of his minders would be greeted by Alan with an offer of tea. Sitting resplendent in silk tie and matching handkerchief, he would receive pleas for forgiveness or retribution. In a curious way, paying this kind of respect seemed to strengthen the chance of support. To feed Alan Jones’ narcissism was to nourish the worth of the cause.

In matters of business, justice and politics, 1994 was a busy year for Godfather Jones, his first as a true multimedia personality. As well as being number one in Sydney radio, Jones had a well-read newspaper column and now a television deal. In November 1993 Harry Miller had negotiated with Network Ten for Alan Jones to take over from Derryn Hinch. Miller saw Jones’ future in television. Hinch saw his replacement as ‘a despicable man … [with] a lot of lead in his saddlebag’.

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