Peter Sinclair seeks quieter life

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 3

Peter Sinclair seeks quieter life

By BRAD TATTERSFIELD Peter Sinclair is looking forward to a more leisurely pace of life when he moves to Christchurch next year. Although he will continue to work in radio and television, Sinclair’s workload will be considerably less than it was in Auckland.

Yesterday he signed a two-year contract to work for Radio Avon as the morning (9 a.m. to noon) announcer. He will also continue to present television’s “Mastermind,” “University Challenge,” and “The Miss New Zealand Show,” as well as four special documentary programmes.

In Christchurch yesterday, he reflected on the frenetic Auckland scene he is leaving behind. He recalled working for 10 years without a holiday while running New Zealand’s largest pottery and art print dealership, announcing on Radio i, and doing television work.

“At the end of that time I really got quite ill, and had to take it easy for two or three months. I learned that you simply cannot abuse the body through gross overwork.”

Christchurch is Sinclair’s home town; he attended Christ’s College and Canterbury University, and once worked as a cadet reporter on “The Press.”

His return to the city is not career-motivated, he says.

“I made a decision to come to Christchurch 15 to 18 months ago. I always knew I would come back. I’ve always loved it.” He says South Islanders are “better brought up” than their North Island

countrymen: he finds it stressful being a public figure in Auckland, while people are more polite and less imposing in the south.

“I can walk down Colombo Street, but I won’t walk down Queen Street. For somebody that has been in the public eye as long as I have, that is quite important.”

What career challenges remain for New Zealand’s best known television frontman? Sinclair admits that he has done just about every thing on camera, although he says he would like to return to presenting live entertainment shows.

“I quit it because I did it non-stop for ten years. I had asked every question of every group or singer that you can think of.” New Zealand’s entertainment and recording industries had suffered through no longer having regular productions like “C’mon” and “Happen Inn,” which were showcases for a wide range of musical ' talent — "everything ‘ from ‘ heavy metal to Rhonda singing ‘Danny Boy’.” Sinclair predicts that such shows will be funded by outside sponsorship in future, particularly when the third channel arrives.

“They were difficult to make in the ’6os on threadbare budgets. In the ’7os and ’Bos, the costs are just phenomenal; they are not viable except through sponsorship now. My feeling is that once the third channel comes in, things are going to free up. The stimulus of competition will improve television, as it did with the 8.8. C. in England.”

TVNZ’s recent twentyfifth anniversary repeats of old music shows gave many viewers fond mejnories of a younger, wide-eyed and “hyper” Sinclair who generated enthusiasm for the home-grown hits of the day. “It has a certain quaint aspect now,” he says. “Of course, distance lends enchantment to these things. But for its day, it was excellent.” Sinclair had a few words to say about “frivolous” feminist criticism of beauty contents. “I’m not at all anti-femin-ist. I think the aspirations of women are extremely y well-founded,” he said. “If you don’t like it (beauty contests) don’t go in for it. If girls want to go in for it, then let them.” Sinclair has been signed on by Radio Avon at a time when the station is struggling in the ratings; it is fourth in the Christchurch market, behind. 3ZB. 3ZM, and 3YC. Avon’s manager, Mr Wayne Johnson, says the station “couldn’t be happier” about securing Sinclair’s services. Sinclair is not new to the challenge of pulling a station out of a ratings trough; he helped Radio i out of a slump when he started there in 1980. “I’m not coming into town as a hype hot-shot announcer,” he said. “It will basically be something warm, friendly, relaxed and fun.” His ultimate ambition? “To be one of the hosts when Television New Zealand has its fiftieth anniversary.”