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Kyle Sandilands - Source: TV2 -
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Shock jock Kyle Sandilands has avoided being sacked, but will be forced to undergo counselling following his jibe about comedian Magda Szubanski.
After flying back from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sandilands had meetings on Thursday with his employer Austereo, which informed him of their decision to suspend him without pay until October 7.
It comes after two controversial incidents on his Sydney breakfast show for which he was widely criticised.
The first was a segment in which a 14-year-old girl was attached to a lie detector and quizzed about her sexual history , while in the second stumble, earlier this month, Sandilands said Szubanski, who has been trying to lose weight, would only be thin if she was put in a concentration camp .
Sandilands apologised, but was suspended on September 9.
In a joint statement, Austereo executive chairman Peter Harvie and 2DAY FM general manager Adam Lang said the pay penalty would be directed "to community charitable causes".
"In addition, Kyle Sandilands will attend external counselling," the statement said.
"2Day FM has taken into consideration Sandilands' concern and remorse for statements made."
Co-host Jackie O will remain on air while Sandilands is suspended.
His return date is just three days before the Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), where he and Jackie O are in the running for three gongs.
Meanwhile, possibly hoping to go unnoticed, just four minutes after the Sandilands' announcement was made, rival broadcaster the Australian Radio Network (ARN) announced that Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney would not be returning to their poorly rating Mix 106.5 breakfast show, after reaching a "mutual" agreement with the station's management.
ARN said McKenney would be leaving ARN to take up other opportunities "immediately", while Kruger would remain at the station for the time being, but not in an on-air role.
"After consultation with Sonia and Todd a mutual decision has been reached and they will be moving on from ARN to pursue their careers elsewhere," the statement said.
Kruger and McKenney have struggled in the ratings since they took over from Sammy Power and Subby Valentine early last year.
In the last survey released this week, the Dancing With The Stars talent held just a 3.3% audience share of the Sydney market, way down from their predecessor's figures.
The general manager of ARN stations in Sydney, Anthony Fitzgerald, thanked them for their work.
"As the network will not be renewing the contracts of Sonia and Todd for 2010, we wish them both well in the future and thank them once again for their contribution."
The breakfast team of Ange, Jamie and Christo, who have been filling in this week while Kruger and McKenney were on holidays, will remain in the slot for now.
An announcement about a permanent replacement will be made towards the end of next week, Fitzgerald said.
In a big week for radio, 2UE's Mike Carlton will have his last day on 2UE on Friday, bringing to a close more than 26 years on morning radio.
Carlton will return to writing a column for the Sydney Morning Herald after being sacked from the paper last year.
