Accolade for 50 years of broadcasting

Bill Francis, ONZM. PHOTO/FILE

A lifetime of devotion to broadcasting and cricket has been rewarded with Bill Francis appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

Mr Francis started as a cadet with Radio 2XB in Masterton on leaving college. It was the start of a journey that continues 51 years later.

He is now chief executive of the Radio Broadcasters Association, a position he will relinquish in April next year to become a member of the board of Radio New Zealand.

Mr Francis, now in Auckland, grew up as part of a large family in Masterton -- one of his brothers is the former mayor of Masterton Bob Francis -- and attended Central School prior to Wairarapa College.

He joined the staff of Radio 2XB which worked out of Church St in Masterton and said he "learned the ropes".

"The station was an important link in my long association with broadcasting, it was a small station and I was thrown in at the deep end," Mr Francis said.

In those early days, Mr Francis worked alongside people who were to become household names throughout New Zealand, including Jessica Wardell and Judith Fyfe (nee Blathwayt).

Mr Francis returns to Masterton as often as possible and said Wairarapa has a special place in his affections.

He moved to Auckland in 1983 to become sports editor of the new Newstalk 1ZB and 10 years later was promoted to general manager of Talk Programming for The Radio Network, with a principal responsibility for Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport.

He is chairman of the New Zealand Radio Awards Committee and of the Radio Industry Research Committee.

Mr Francis is also on the board of the Advertising Standards Authority and a member of the New Zealand Music Performance Committee and the Online Media Standards Authority Complaints Board.

He has mentored influential broadcasters including Sir Paul Holmes, Leighton Smith, Larry Williams, Kerre McIvor, Mike Hosking, Peter Montgomery and Murray Deaker.

On the cricket front Mr Francis has been a director of New Zealand Cricket and Auckland Cricket and is a trustee of the Auckland Cricket Development Fund.