Seven Days: The Country Giant

This July 1977 Seven Days report tunes in to Radio 1XX Whakatāne, NZ’s then-smallest private radio station. Coastline Radio has been giving the Eastern Bay of Plenty its own MOR voice for six years. Seven Days reveals tensions between DJs in cut-throat jousting for spots. On-trial Breakfast DJ John Adeane describes his job as “personality projection” as he chugs on a Camel and rouses “the country giant”. He warns of the danger of being “an attractive proposition to the girls in town”, and describes behind the scenes activities during the religious programming.

I want to find out: what are people over in Ōhope doing?

– A wannabe DJ gunning for the breakfast spot