Overview
- During his Rádio Nacional show, José Luiz Datena asked why few WhatsApp messages had arrived and said there might be “no one listening to this thing.”
- The remarks came on Alô Alô Brasil, a weekday program that airs from 8 to 10 a.m. on the federal network Rádio Nacional.
- EBC, the state-owned broadcaster, hired Datena in December 2025 for a weekly TV show and the daily radio slot under a reported R$100,000 monthly contract.
- EBC says the pay covers about 11.5 hours a week across TV Brasil and Rádio Nacional, calls it market-level, and notes it is lower than his past earnings.
- Coverage has tied the on-air gripe to earlier criticism of the cost and performance of the shows, with one outlet reporting the TV program at times registered near-zero ratings, and there have been no reported changes to his role.