King’s Birthday Honours
Broadcaster Jamie Mackay started his career out of a tiny studio in Gore.
Thirty years later, he is one of the most prominent rural broadcasters in the country, and has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Mr Mackay has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the rural community.
The recognition surprised Mr Mackay.
"Initially, I thought someone was having me on, as I’ve got a few dodgy mates who would love to suck me in with a stunt like this.
"But when I realised it was for real, my first thought was that I would turn it down as I didn’t think I’d done enough to justify the honour.
"In the end, however, I justified it in my mind by accepting it for all the charity fundraising work I’d done over the years, particularly for [disabilities advocacy group] the IHC.
"Besides, I knew my family would be proud, especially my children and eventual grandchildren. I’m truly humbled.
Mr Mackay grew up on a farm near Riversdale and attended St Peter’s College.
He has been a pioneer of rural radio, driving the broadcasting of rural content nationally in mainstream media through New Zealand’s leading rural network show The Country.
In 1994, Mr Mackay co-purchased the radio station now known as Hokonui Gold, in Gore, and began a daily five-minute rural segment broadcast, working towards a one-hour show format.
In 2007, he obtained a nationwide slot on Radio Sport through The Radio Network (TRN).
"I love the spontaneity of live radio, Mr Mackay said.
"It’s seat-of-the-pants stuff and you definitely have to think on your feet, which in itself sounds like quite a contradiction.
"I’m in the privileged position of getting to talk to leading New Zealanders — people who affect and can change our daily lives.
"I’ve never taken that for granted.
Technology had changed both farming and broadcasting in the past couple of decades, he said.
"Technology has made radio a hell of a lot easier but I’m not sure it’s totally done the same for farming.
"Working the land is no longer the domain of the archetypal, gumboot and singlet-wearing, Fred Dagg-type character.
"Brawn used to go a long way in farming. Nowadays it’s very much about the brain.
It had been a privilege to talk to the prime minister of the day since Helen Clark started a weekly slot on the show back in 2000, he said.
"John Key’s been the best of them but Clark had the mind of a steel trap.
"However, my favourite politician is the ever-evolving chameleon Winston Peters, even though I’ve never voted for him. He’s a great survivor and the biggest political character of our time, if you exclude David Lange’s fleeting shooting star.
Profitability, sustainability, environmental pressures and compliance costs were among the biggest issues for the rural sector, along with mental health.
"The latter is a real issue. The suicide stats for rural folk are sobering at best.
"Isolation is a killer.
Mr Mackay said his arrangement with Newstalk ZB meant he had "more urban listeners than rural".
"I’d like to think I’ve done my bit to paint the primary sector in a positive light.
"My best mates are still farmers. And farmers are still, absolutely, the backbone of our economy."
