Friends and relatives joined David Whittington, 65, from St Andrews, in demanding for the network to "step up and help" by confirming its role in the failed attempt to abduct Brisbane woman Sally Faulkner's two children from a Beirut street on April 7.

About 15 people held banners, wore "Free Whitto" t-shirts and called upon the network to do what it could to "bring Skippy home" outside its Willoughby base.

Behind ever-more desperate attempts to free the man are supporters' concerns for their friend's health in a squalid cell where meals are given every two days.

"We can't get through to Channel Nine," Mr Whittington, a retired Qantas engineer, told Fairfax Media. "We're here today to bring it to a head. We've bombarded news director, Darren Wick, but he refuses to answer our calls."

Protest organiser and leader of the 3500-person Facebook group, Support Adam Whittington #bringskippyhome, Susan Brown, said she and protesters had made about 10 phone calls to Channel Nine requesting a meeting with management on Tuesday.

"We're not going until someone talks to us," she said.

Supporters are hopeful a bail hearing in Beirut on Wednesday will lead to Adam Whittington's release, but fear the father of Ms Faulkner's children, Ali Elamine, may appeal the decision.

Former Australian Army soldier Adam Whittington runs Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI) and was reportedly paid $69,000 by the television network to lead the attempt to reunite mother Ms Faulkner with her two children.

The mission ended in disaster when 60 Minutes' Tara Brown, David Ballment, Stephen Rice and Ben Williamson, and Adam Whittington and his colleague Craig Michael were arrested and charged with armed abduction, purveying threats and physical harm.

After two weeks in jail, Ms Brown and the Nine crew were released after the network struck a $500,000 settlement deal with Mr Elamine.

Mr Whittington demanded answers as to why the network "has not acknowledged the existence" of his son and Mr Michael, who entered the Lebanon on British passports and have now been held captive for 41 days.

"They went in as a team, they should have come out as a team," he said.

Police arrived about an hour and a quarter into the peaceful protest, warning demonstrators not to trespass on private land.

Adam Whittington, a former London Metropolitan Police officer, lives in Sweden with his wife and two children.

Andrew Buck, a school friend of Adam Whittington's, travelled from his home in Rockhampton for the rally.

"We need Channel Nine to step up and help, that's all there is to it. We've had fundraisers, we're not rich people," he said.

Legal counsel for the jailed man has so far cost more than $150,000, his father estimated. Solicitor Joe Kamal is understood to be delivering meals to the prisoner who, supporters said, is held in a rat-infested "dungeon" with faeces on the walls and urine-soaked mattresses.

"It's painful," Mr Buck said of the thought of his friend's incarceration. "We're talking about someone who gives up his time and freedom to help kids. He's been labelled a kidnapper but he's a hero. He's there to rescue children."

While he said his friend had lost weight, he believes the prisoner remains strong.

"All of us are doing worse than he is, he's holding us all together."

Channel Nine declined to comment.