Former Sky News host Alan Jones has made a major career announcement, just over a month after his contract at the outlet wasn’t renewed.
Jones revealed he has signed with Australian Digital Holdings to create a digital TV show that will stream on Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms.
He held a press conference at Sydney’s Hilton hotel on Friday to share the news.
“This is a pioneering initiative, this has never been done in Australia before,” Jones said.
“It is very much the tomorrow of media.”
The veteran broadcaster said he had been “encouraged” by his successful Facebook page prior to signing with the platform.
His new show will stream for the first time at 8 pm on Monday, and will be accompanied by a daily podcast called Alan Jones 7 am Comment.
Jones is well known for his controversial views and told reporters that the “biggest issue facing Australia is self censorship”.
“There are thousands and thousands of people saying, ‘What is Alan Jones saying?’” he said.
He added that the show was taking an online format – which will be reliant on advertising revenue – because “there is a lot of interference in what people want to write or want to say” in traditional media.
“And therefore sometimes what comes out is not quintessentially your view,” he said.
“We’ve got the best legal minds behind the operation, so they will all be consulted, but I will be saying what Alan Jones thinks, I won’t be responding to legal letters as to whether I can say that or say that.”
Jones also spoke about rumours he would be running for politics which emerged earlier in the week.
He confirmed that “every political party and some political parties that I don’t think even exist” approached him, but that he did not want to “sit in the Senate and say nothing”.
“I don’t think that’s me,” he said.
“Can you tell me three people who’ve said something significant in the Senate in the last month? I don’t want to join that crowd, no thanks. Look, I think there’s something wrong [with] the parliamentary system, and I don’t want to be part of that. There are so many disaffected parliamentarians who speak to me.”
The newly formed Australian Digital Holdings, headed by former ABC chairman Maurice Newman, said several other unnamed broadcasters would be joining them.
“There were people who approached me, and believe in me and believe in what I’ve done … and they embraced that and said, ‘We want you to be our inaugural broadcaster’,” Jones said.
“But there are others lining up.”
Jones abruptly left Sky last month, accusing the network of “cancelling” his conservative views.
Though his contract was due to end on November 30, it was decided that he wouldn’t stay for his final weeks at a meeting on October 29.
His 8 pm time slot has since been filled by Inside the News with Rita Panahi.
Image: @alanjonesao (Instagram)
This article first appeared on Over60.