Austereo loses $2.8m over prank call

Speaking about when they first found out about the tragedy that followed their prank call, the 2Day FM hosts broke down on A Current Affair. Vision courtesy of Channel 9.

• 2DayFM DJs impersonated Queen and Prince Philip
• "Hot 30 Impact" was $2.8 million to station owners
• Video: Prank call DJs weep for nurse's family

THE prank hospital call to the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge by Sydney's 2DayFM cost the radio station's owners $2.8 million in lost profit.

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) said the prank call where the Queen was impersonated (scroll down to listen to the prank call) to the hospital where the Princess of Cambridge was had a $2.2 million hit to revenue and added $1.4 million in expenses.

Nurse duped by Southern Cross Austereo DJs found dead

SCA did not give a breakdown of the net profit effect but said there was an 0.4 cent decline to earnings per share due to the .

The figure translated into a $2.8 million hit to first half net profit, which SCA reported as falling 52 per cent to $45.1 million.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha with her family.

2DayFM announcers Michael Christian and Mel Greig were suspended and their Hot 30 program cancelled after they made a prank call in December to London's King Edward VII Hospital posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who took the call at the hospital, was later found dead in a suspected suicide.

Hoax nurse's mother inconsolable and says no contact from radio station

SCA chief executive Rhys Holleran today said the company had "put our processes under the microscope" in response to what he described as an "unforeseen tragedy".

Royal prank: Invasive Aussie radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian. Picture: AFP Photo / Southern Cross Austero

"We are reasonably happy with what we have seen and we have seen some areas where we think we can do better than we previously did," he said.

SCA said any continuing financial effect would be immaterial and that the broadcaster's radio brands remained strong with audiences.

"We have done a lot of research into our own brands and I think with our own audiences and we just wrapped that up recently and they seem to be in pretty good shape," Mr Holleran said.

SCA suspended advertising on 2DayFM in December after a public backlash over the prank call, as major retailers such as Coles and Telstra pulled their advertising from the station.

The 2DayFM DJs who prank called a UK hospital enquiring after the Duchess of Cambridge will not be charged.

Mr Christian has since returned to the airwaves, while Ms Greig was expected to return at a later date.

2Day FM hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian were given details of the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition after making a prank phone call to the hospital where she is being treated for acute morning sickness.

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