John Singleton slams Fairfax after merger collapses: “I’m going to watch it die slowly”

We reported yesterday that talks between Macquarie Radio Network and Fairfax regarding a $200m merger had collapsed. This morning, John Singleton, who is the majority shareholder of Macquarie Radio Network, appeared on Alan Jones’ 2GB breakfast show and unleashed an expletive-riddled tirade directed at Fairfax Media, commenting on “lies and deceit”, and calling those in charge “third-rate wankers”.

Singleton narrowed in on Chairman Roger Corbett, who he called a “precocious, pretentious prick” and CEO Greg Hywood, saying Hywood “does not know what he is doing so he just hires consultants to tell him what to do, and obviously he does nothing except what they tell him.”

“There have been a lot of discussions over a number of years on all this, but there will be no more. There have been lies and deceit, there has been abuse and false accusations directed at us, and there is not going to be a deal with Fairfax Media”, Singleton continued.

“They are selling all their future assets to prop up their dead assets. You have to judge things on what they are worth. 2UE is now worse than it’s ever been. They have no audience in Sydney […] There are third-rate wankers in charge of destroying Fairfax. I’m going to watch it die slowly. I’ll wait until they are absolutely fucked and buy it off the receivers.”

2GB have embedded the entire interview here.