Vale: John Laws | Television tonight

Veteran broadcaster John Laws, whose radio career spanned seven decades, has died aged 90.

The Daily Telegraph reports this he had been receiving palliative care in recent weeks before passing away early Sunday morning.

His family said in a statement: “Today is a very difficult day for our family, with the news that our beloved father/grandfather/uncle John Laws passed away peacefully at home.

“Although fame and notoriety had become a mainstay of his life, he was always the person who meant so much to us, away from the microphone, the cameras and the headlines.

“It’s reassuring to know that John lived a good life; he had remained in good health and even in better spirits until the last few weeks.

“The family would like to thank the many well-wishers who have already reached out, as we know we have shared the man, known simply as Lawsie, with so many of you.”

Laws was a radio giant, albeit often controversial, nicknamed ‘Golden Tonsils’ and long associated with 2UE, 2GB, plus 2UW, 2SM and the Super Radio Network, retiring in November 2024.

There were also discussions with television.

His show from the early 1960s Start time helped introduce mainstream Australia to Dame Edna Everage, at which time Laws claimed Everage was “a very good friend of mine”.

He later became a judge New faces in 1969 and took over from Noel Ferrier Beauty and the Beast between 1970 and 1971.

In 1971, he started hosting a daytime show called His and hers. In 1982 he organized a new revival Beauty and the Beast for 10.

He later moved to Foxtel as a frontman LAWS from 1998 – 2000.

He once played a real estate agent Skippy called “Honest John… and I was anything but honest,” he said.

But there were also a series of radio controversies.

In 1999 Media view reported that Laws and 2UE’s Alan Jones had adopted ‘Cash for Comment’ for favorable sponsorship commentary – both escaping violations from the Australian Broadcasting Authority by claiming to be entertainers and not journalists. In 2004, Laws was again accused of the same thing, this time found guilty. A finding he railed against and showed no regrets.

Despite signing in with “Hello world” and leaving with “you guys…be kind to each other,” he was often accused of targeting the unemployed, prisoners, homosexuals, anti-nuclear protesters and rival broadcasters. He even criticized listeners by asking a sexual abuse victim if the abuse was somehow her fault, calling a male child sexual abuse victim a “wet blanket” and telling him to “lighten up.”

In 2004, Laws and 2UE colleague Steve Price were found guilty of defaming homosexuals after an on-air discussion about gay contestants on The Block and once apologized after comments about Strange eye for the straight manby Carson Kressley.

Yet Laws was often unrepentant, returning to the microphone again and again, including country music albums. Although his television career was intermittent, his influence on Australian radio is undeniable.

Once interviewed by Leigh Sales on 7:30 am he asked her, “Did you enjoy it?”

“I enjoyed it, did you?” she replied.

“Yes. I loved every minute of it,” he laughed.