Do you remember that time when France was embroiled in a huge dispute over whether an ad for a football game could be projected onto the Eiffel tower? You don’t? That’s because it’s ridiculous, never happened, and likely never will happen.

But an equivalent controversy is happening in Australia at the moment. NSW shockjock Alan Jones has gone in to bat for the racing industry, and has defended them so successfully that the state government has told the Sydney Opera House to project an ad for the upcoming Everest horse race — or else.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Opera House

Ever since Vivid, Sydney’s art and light festival, became a hallmark city event, the government has wondered how the Opera House could be used as a public projector.

During Vivid, the building is an art space.

We are broadcasting 'Lighting the Sails' LIVE TONIGHT at 5:45pm AEST. Tune in: https://t.co/zWY74B9HF3 @VividSydney pic.twitter.com/BPhyunZYzA

— Vivid LIVE (@VividLIVE) May 27, 2016

And in recent years, the buildings sails have been used to celebrate Australia’s Ashes victory, and a Wallabies win.

By law, the state government can demand the Opera House project whatever it so chooses. But according to the building’s internal policy, branding is not allowed to be projected onto the World Heritage site.

So, when Racing NSW entered negotiations with the Opera House to project details about the upcoming Everest horse race, which has over $10 million in prize money, things got heated.

Opera House CEO Louise Herron made the media rounds to clear up her team’s position.

She told Fairfax that they were happy for Racing NSW to use the building’s sails, but that there would be restrictions: jockeys’ colours only, not the Everest logo or horses names.

But then Alan Jones got involved.

Alan Jones

Known as a media player with extraordinarily close ties to successive state and federal government, and criticised as one of the external persuaders that encouraged former PM Malcolm Turnbull’s knifing, Alan Jones is a powerful radio shockjock.

And when Herron came onto his 2GB show on Friday to explain the Opera House’s position on the growing controversy, shit hit the fan.

“If I were [NSW premier] Gladys Berejiklian I’d pick up the phone and sack you today,” Jones said during the interview, in which he would repeatedly interrupt Herron before she could say much.

“Louise I’m sorry, I think you’re out of your depth here,” he continued. “You should put your resignation on the table today… if you can’t come to the party, Louise, you should lose your job.”

Near the end of the interview, Jones said that he would call Berejiklian and request that Herron be fired.

The NSW government relented. Racing NSW will promote the Everest Cup on the Opera House, and will use not only colours but an image of the trophy and numbers of the racing horses in the projection.

“There will be no logos or names — the only words on there are the words on the trophy itself,” Berejiklian explained today. “And that is consistent with what’s happened in the past… whether it’s other sporting events or opportunities or other artistic expressions.”

The Everest Cup

Everest Cup is not just a horse race: it’s advertised as the world richest turf horse race. There’s a prize pool of $13 million up for grabs this year.

And as reported today, the project — and Racing NSW more broadly — has close ties to some of their most ardent public supporters.

Fairfax revealed today that two of Jones’ closes business partners have horses in the race, and Jones himself partly owns a horse that was almost in the line up.

Large chunks of News Corp — which owns tabloids such as the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun — receive cash from Racing NSW. They pay for form guides to be printed in their papers each week, as Guardian Australia noted. Fairfax also publishes form guides.

The Everest Cup will be run on 13 October.