Former 3ZB announcer offered job at Avon

Press, 19 May 1984, Page 9

Former 3ZB announcer offered job at Avon

Radio Avon’s ratings battle with 3ZM went a step further yesterday with Avon offering’a job as host of its breakfast session to Pat Courtenay, a former 3ZB breakfast announcer.

Mr Courtenay said from Auckland last evening that Radio Avon had made him an offer. He said he had not been made an offer by 3ZM.

He did not know when he would make a decision on the offer. When asked if he was interested in the offer, he said, “offers from radio stations are by their very nature interesting.”

Radio Avon’s general manager, Mr Chris Whitta, confirmed that an offer had been made. There were “areas where we need to reach agreement,” he said. He expected an answer from Mr Courtenay in “about two weeks.”

3ZM’s station manager, Mr John McElhinney, would not comment yesterday on whether 3ZM was considering offering Mr Courtenay a position in response to Radio Avon’s proposal.

Mr Courtenay is now working for Radio Pacific in Auckland as a breakfast

announcer. Before moving to Auckland, he worked at 3ZM and 3ZB in Christchurch, and, for a short time, in Brisbane.

In September, 1981, he moved to IZM in Auckland, and then to Radio Hauraki as a breakfast announcer a year later. In July last year he was sacked from there, and after two months moved to Radio Pacific. He said that the station had moved from number five to number two in the over 20-year-old market place since last year.