Turning the tables in Te Hana

Aspiring DJs from the Te Hana area will graduate from the inaugural Introduction to Iwi Broadcasting (Te Reo Whakapaoho) course, run by NorthTec, on July 4.

Just under 20 students enrolled in the course which covered topics such as voice production and on-air presentation, and touched on subjects such as news, sales and marketing and copy writing.

The tutor was long-time broadcaster Ted Andersen.

“The group is made up of both men and women, who represent a range of ages and backgrounds,” he said. “They’re enthusiastic and have responded well to the lessons.”

The Te Hana Community Charitable Trust plans to set-up a LPFM (low powered) station utilising a pool of trained broadcasters. Later on, if an iwi radio licence is obtained, this will be expanded to broadcast further a field in both Maori and English.
Mr Andersen says a second course will be run later this year if registrations are sufficient. Info: 423 8708

Years of experience

Students participating in the Te Hana radio course are in experienced hands.
Tutor Ted Andersen, now retired to Wharehine, spent almost 45 years in the broadcasting business, starting with 3ZB in Christchurch. Later, he hosted a breakfast show in Rotorua where Howard Morrison was a regular guest and then moved to 1ZB in Auckland, working with Auckland radio legends Merv Smith and Haddo D’Audney.

“The NZ Broadcasting Corporation ran both commercial and non-commercial stations in those days, so there was plenty of scope for wide experience,” he says. “You had to be able to do a little bit of everything, whereas today’s city announcers are much more specialised. It was a great business that brought me into contact with people from all walks of life.”

These included comedy greats Harry Seacombe and Ronnie Barker.
“Ronnie was a tiny man. When he walked past the studio window, all I could see was the top of his head. He was quite a flamboyant character. Harry had a wonderful sense of humour, of course, but he also struck me as being a sincere and thoughtful sort of person.”

Ted says David Lange was a wonderful guest because he was the consummate performer and “very, very amusing”.
But one of his most memorable guests was NZ aviatrix Jean Batten.

“She had a marvellous personality – strong-minded, independent, a bit stroppy and with a contagious love of life.”

Ted also spent time as a television newsreader and weather man, and presented the magazine programme Look North.

“They were interesting days that included royal tours, concert recitals and other outside broadcasts. It’s nice to look back and realise that apart from the occasional bastard, most people I had to deal with were really likeable.”

Ted says community radio is a bit like the early radio days where programmes go to air live and the people running the stations are often wearing lots of different hats.

The Wellsford Country Music Station has supported the radio course by allowing students the use of their studio, as well as giving them radio experience. Pictured, from left, are tutor Ted Andersen with students Tori Collier, a Wharehine farmer, and Karen Davey, an early childhood teacher from Omaha.