John Laws

**Richard John Sinclair Laws**, CBE (born 8 August 1935), also known as **Lawsie**, is an Australian radio announcer, television host, recording artist, voice-over artist, poet, author, actor and racing driver. For more than thirty years until 2007, he was the host of an Australian morning radio program combining music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback. His distinctive voice earned him the nickname "the Golden Tonsils". Though officially retired between 2007-2011 he returned in February 2011 to host a morning programme on 2SM and the Super Radio Network.

## Career

Best known as a talkback radio broadcaster, Laws is one of Australia's highest-paid radio personalities. Although regularly commentating on topical news, Laws did not regard himself a journalist but as an entertainer and salesman. He is nonetheless one of the few commercial radio personalities whose interviews with state and federal political leaders are considered to have a significant influence of the course of politics in New South Wales especially, and Australia in general. He has also often appeared as a television show host and enjoyed a long recording career.

Laws' radio show was syndicated throughout Australia for many years and was consistently one of the most popular and influential programs in the Australian media. Laws is also a familiar voice for generations of Australians through his large and varied body of work as a voice-over artist for commercials, and as a celebrity endorser of commercial products, notably Valvoline motor oil, with his popular catchphrase "Valvoline, you know what I mean" and Oral-B toothbrushes (the slogan "Oral-B, the toothbrush more dentists use.")

## Biography

Born in Wau, Papua New Guinea to Australian parents, Laws contracted polio twice – once as a child, and again as a young man.

He was educated at Mosman Preparatory School and Knox Grammar School in Sydney, Australia. He began his radio career in 1953 at 3BO in Bendigo before working at several rural radio stations and joining 2UE in 1957, the first of four terms at that Sydney radio station, during which time he became one of the first Australian disc jockeys to play rock 'n' roll music along with Bob Rogers, Tony Withers and Stan Rofe). Laws is said to have pioneered the practice (soon taken up by Rofe) of using contacts in the airline industry to supply him with the latest international pop releases, giving him an edge at a time when Australian releases of many British and American pop records might be delayed for months.

Laws left 2UE in 1959, and moved to the Hunter Region, where he ran a farm. In 1962 he moved back to Sydney, where he joined 2GB, remaining with the station for two years before he rejoined 2UE in 1964. His stint at 2UE continued until 1969, at which point he contracted to 2UW, where he was to remain for 10 years. He returned to 2UE in 1979, this time for another five years. He then moved to 2GB after a highly publicised bid for his services, but returned to the 2UE fold when the station was number eight in the ratings. The return of Laws was the primary cause of the station becoming number one in Sydney for many years. Laws' radio program was syndicated nationwide, and was especially popular in rural areas. Capital city stations taking Laws include 4BC in Brisbane, 2CC in Canberra, 101.7 HOFM in Hobart and Mix 1049 in Darwin.

Laws also often worked a television host and panellist. His early 1960s show *Startime* is notable for assisting in introducing mainstream Australia to Edna Everage at which time Laws claimed Everage was "a very close friend of mine". Laws told columnist Valda Marshall in 1970 that he was 'not basically a TV star' and didn't 'feel altogether happy with the medium'. He was a judge on *Australia's New Faces* in 1969  and took over as host from Noel Ferrier on the panel advice show, *Beauty and the Beast* in 1970. Laws quit in 1971; a spokesman for the station which produced the show, Channel 7, claimed Laws had asked for too high a salary. He also appeared on television in 1970 in an acting role in the children's drama *Skippy*. In May 1971, he began hosting a daytime show called *His and Hers*. In 1982, he hosted a revived "Beauty and the Beast" for Network 10. In 1998, *John Laws – In One Lifetime* premiered on Network Ten and *LAWS* on Foxtel. While *LAWS* continued until 2000, *John Laws – In One Lifetime* was dropped after two episodes – although the remaining five episodes that were commissioned by Network 10 were aired later that year.

However, his appeal began to wane. In 2002, station colleague and arch-rival Alan Jones moved from 2UE to 2GB, and soon took that station to the top talk position in Sydney. After 55 years on air, Laws announced on 25 June 2007 that he would retire at the end of the year. However, he was pre-empted by other media agencies, who broke the story at 9:00 am. Laws made the announcement at about 9:10 am, saying that he had planned to make the announcement at about 9:45 am.Laws' last broadcast was on 30 November 2007, one week after the federal election. He began as always, "Hello world, I'm John Laws" and signed off with his usual quote, "you...be kind to each other." He then left the 2UE building in Sydney in his distinctive Rolls Royce Phantom surrounded by hordes of cameramen.

In August 2009, Laws revealed on Vega (now known as Smooth FM) that he missed radio and that he was interested in returning to the airwaves. This was followed five months later by an announcement by Laws' manager, revealing that Laws had entered into negotiations with a number of radio stations, including 2SM. Nevertheless, the suggestions that Laws would be returning from retirement in 2010 ended shortly thereafter, when 2UE management revealed that their contract with Laws precluded him from competing with their station until December 2010. Laws' management confirmed in November 2010 that he would be returning to radio, following the expiry of the no-compete clause that prevented him from signing with a new network. He currently presents the John Laws Morning Show on 2SM and the Super Radio Network.

## Controversies and scandals

### Cash for comment

In 2004 Laws and rival talk-back host Alan Jones (now at 2GB) were accused of taking payment to make favourable comments on products and services as though merely expressing personal opinion, after entering into deals with Telstra. The ABA subsequently found that Laws' deal constituted cash for comment but Jones' did not.

Laws, apparently angered by what he saw as inequitable treatment, launched stinging attacks on Jones and the ABA's head, David Flint. In an appearance on the ABC's *Enough Rope*, Laws accused Jones of placing pressure on Prime Minister John Howard to keep Flint as head of the ABA, and made comments that many viewers took to imply a sexual relationship between Jones and Flint, and broadly hinted that Jones, like Flint, was homosexual.

On 7 May 2009 Laws made a statement on the 20th anniversary special edition of the ABC's *Media Watch* program, in which he exhibited no remorse for his role in the Cash-for-Comment scandal, instead implying that the whistleblower (*Media Watch*) was the wrongdoer and that the people involved were only jealous of his success.

### Comments about homosexuals and Chinese drivers

In November 2004, Laws and 2UE colleague Steve Price were found guilty of vilifying homosexuals after an on-air discussion about a gay couple appearing in the reality TV show *The Block*. They described the couple as "young poofs". Laws had previously apologised for another incident in which he called gay TV personality Carson Kressley, of *Queer Eye for the Straight Guy* fame, a "pillow-biter" and a "pompous little pansy prig".

In August 2007, Laws was again embroiled in controversy after responding to an on-air caller who was, apparently, Chinese that "Chinese drivers are probably the worst drivers on the face of the earth." In return, John Laws pad $20 for Chinese food and a cold drink in Sydney with Asian radio listeners.

### Defamation lawsuit

In October 2007, West Coast Eagles player Adam Selwood commenced legal proceedings against Laws over comments made about him regarding a mid-year incident involving Fremantle Football Club player Des Headland.

### Incident with Derryn Hinch

In December 2007, during a long lunch at Sydney's Otto Ristorante to farewell his former personal assistant, Laws was informed of the presence of rival broadcasters Derryn Hinch and Bob Rogers at another table nearby. He went over to their table and immediately spouted forth a tirade of invective, calling them 'the two most despicable cunts' he'd ever met in the industry. Hinch and Rogers traded insults with Laws, insisting Hinch was a 'hypocrite' and a 'failed alcoholic'. Hinch replied that that must mean Laws was a 'successful one' and that if Laws was not in fact an alcoholic then he was a 'bloody good actor'. Eventually 2UE colleague Mike Carlton convinced Laws to return to his table and Hinch and Rogers were left to laugh off the altercation.

### Interviews with sexual abuse victims

On 19 March 2013 Laws interviewed a female listener, who described a history of sexual abuse between the ages of six and sixteen. Laws proceeded to ask the woman if the abuse was in some way her fault and whether she had been provocative. The following day Laws said on air that women who dressed provocatively were once viewed as "rape bait".

In 2015, Laws referred to a male victim of child sexual assault as a "wet blanket" and told him to "brighten up".

### Suicide insult

In March 2020, Laws addressed on air an email received from a listener which was critical of both Laws and various items of content broadcast on the show. In his response, Laws told the listener "for goodness sake, say something constructive, like you’re going to kill yourself." The incident was later investigated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, who in March 2021 released a report finding Laws had breached two provisions of the Commercial Radio Code of Practice in broadcasting this statement. It also found 2HD (licensee of 2SM) had breached a provision of the same code relating to complaints handling.

## Cultural influence

In 1996 a portrait of John Laws by artist Paul Newton won the Packing Room award at the Archibald Prize. The portrait was hung in Laws' production office at 2UE.

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating called him the "broadcaster of the century" at Laws 40th anniversary dinner. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is mentioned in the song "Who Can Stand in the Way?" by Australian group Midnight Oil on their album *Red Sails in the Sunset*.

## Golden microphone stolen

On 17 July 2007 Laws' gold-plated microphone was stolen. The Sennheiser was presented to him by his radio station 2UE management in 2003 to commemorate his 50 years on the air and is said to be worth $10,000. "I'm very upset about it – it's been a part of my life" he told the *Daily Telegraph*.

Laws subsequently switched to another gold plated microphone; a Rode NT2-A presented to him for his 40th anniversary. He promised charges would not be laid if the Sennheiser was returned.