And finally to the chicanery of radio giveaways. And listen up, because you could be a lucky winner:
VOICEOVER: Across the Capital Radio Network.
MICK JAGGER: Hi, this is Mick Jagger.
KEITH RICHARDS: This is Keith Richards.
VOICEOVER: The Rolling Stones, live in LA.
CHERYL: Am I the right caller to enter into the Rolling Stones competition?
-The Classic Breakfast with Nat and Westo, 6iX, 22 May, 2024
The promo to see the Stones live in LA was on high rotation last month, running on stations 6iX in Perth, 2CA in Canberra, 3GG in Gippsland and GNFM in Goulburn.
And two weeks ago, one lucky listener got dialled up:
NAT FOSTER: We’ve gotta make that call, that very important call.
DEB: Hello?
NAT FOSTER: Hey, is this Deb?
DEB: It certainly is, why?
NAT FOSTER: Ha ha ha …
CRAIG WESTON: Hi Deb, it is Nat and Westo from 6iX and we’re just calling around to some of the people who got on the standby list to see the Rolling Stones at SoFi stadium in LA. So, were you one of those people?
DEB: Of course I was!
NAT FOSTER: Alright Deb, well, do you wanna hear the good news or the bad news, mate?
DEB: Oh, don’t give me any bad news.
CRAIG WESTON: Well, ah, the bad news is you’re gonna have to not make any plans around July 13 because you are our grand prize winner!
– The Classic Breakfast with Nat and Westo, 6iX, 27 May, 2024
On the same day, but on the other side of the country, the host on sister station 3GG was also calling their lucky winner:
JENNI BURCHELL: Ooh ok, I think I’m nervous.
DEB: Hello?
JENNI BURCHELL: Hello, is this Deb?
DEB: It certainly is, why?
– 3GG’s Local Breakfast, 3GG, 27 May, 2024
Amazing, eh.
And on Goulburn’s GNFM, you’ll never guess who their lucky, local winner was too:
CRAIG PRICHARD: Hello, is this Deb?
DEB: It certainly is, why?
– The Local Breakfast Show with Craig Prichard, GNFM, 27 May, 2024
And next day, on Canberra’s 2CA, guess who their lucky winner was?
SCOTTY MASTERS: Hello, is this Deb?
DEB: It certainly is, why?
PAUL HOLMES: Hi Deb, it’s Holmsey and Scotty from 2CA and we’re calling ‘round to some of the people who got on our standby list to see the Rolling Stones live at SoFi stadium in LA. Were you one of those people?
DEB: Of course I was!
– The Classic Breakfast with Holmsey & Scotty, 2CA, 28 May, 2024
Now, that’s four Debs talking to four breakfast hosts who were all reading, almost word for word, from the same script:
NAT FOSTER: Alright, have you got your passport ready to go?
DEB: No, I’ll have to get it renewed actually, it’s gone expired.
– The Classic Breakfast with Nat and Westo, 6iX, 27 May, 2024
JENNI BURCHELL: Big question. Have you got your passport ready to go?
DEB: No, I’ll have to get it renewed actually, it’s gone expired.
– 3GG’s Local Breakfast, 3GG, 27 May, 2024
And yes, in an attempt to keep it real, they were all parroting the same one liners:
PAUL HOLMES: Now, important question, who you taking with you?
DEB: … there’s a few people, I’ll have to, have to think about that.
SCOTTY MASTERS: I reckon there might be some bribery involved …
– The Classic Breakfast with Holmsey & Scotty, 2CA, 28 May, 2024
CRAIG PRICHARD: I reckon there might need to be some bribes there.
– The Local Breakfast Show with Craig Prichard, GNFM, 27 May, 2024
CRAIG WESTON: Well, I reckon there, there might need to be some bribes in there, Deb.
– The Classic Breakfast with Nat and Westo, 6iX, 27 May, 2024
Now, as you can hear, there is only one winner and only one Deb. And it’s anybody’s guess where she’s from and which station made the original call.
But the audio from that interview was sent across the Capital Radio Network, so the local hosts could fake their own call to ‘Deb’ by editing in her answers.
And why would they go to all that effort? To give the appearance of a local winner on each station. Cheeky, eh?
Now, we assumed this cheap trick on listeners must be a one-off.
But, just in case, we thought we’d better check.
So, we rewound the tapes on 3GG and tuned into the winner of its Rod Stewart competition back in August:
ANDREW DEAK: I am dialling right now. If your phone is about to ring I suggest that you answer it.
LISA: Hello, Lisa speaking.
ANDREW DEAK: Hey there Lisa speaking, this is Deaksy from 3GG …
How excited would you be at the possibility of going to see Rod Stewart in Las Vegas, Sin City?
LISA: Very excited.
ANDREW DEAK: Can ya put it in a number between say, one and 10?
LISA: Oh, 11.
– 3GG’s Local Breakfast, 3GG, 21 August, 2023
And was Lisa dialling it up to 11 when she got the call on 6iX in Perth? You betcha:
CRAIG WESTON: Now, how excited are you at the possibility of maybe seeing Rod in Las Vegas?
LISA: Very excited.
NAT FOSTER: Yeah? Can you put a number on it like between one and 10?
LISA: Oh, 11.
– The Classic Breakfast with Nat and Westo, 6iX, 21 August, 2023
While on Canberra’s 2CA, Lisa was being asked:
SCOTTY MASTERS: So, how excited are you?
LISA: Very excited.
SCOTTY MASTERS: Come on, out of sort of one to 10?
LISA: Oh, 11.
– The Classic Breakfast with Holmsey & Scotty, 2CA, 21 August, 2023
Same underhand trick, different competition.
And it’s all a part of a pattern, because the network pulled the same stunt in February when they sent Paula off to Palm Springs to see Madonna.
With Paula telling each breakfast show:
PAULA: Oh my god, do you know what? My husband goes, ‘I dreamt that.’
– 2CA/6iX/3GG, 5 February, 2024
So what does Capital Radio Network have to say about conning its audience with all this fakery?
Not much, with the company’s chief operating officer, Josh Matthews, telling Media Watch:
The Capital Radio Network has not deceived its listeners.
– Email, Josh Matthews, Chief Operating Officer, Capital Radio Network, 7 June, 2024
Matthews assured us the winners are real people and pointed out that the terms and conditions make clear the comps are network wide.
But do the listeners know the calls are fake? No they don’t.
And it’s no wonder the tipster who rumbled this ruse to Media Watch told us he felt cheated.