Today marks one year to the day that I turned on my microphone in this studio for the first time and started a conversation with you.
There were all sorts of reasons I came here. All sorts of reasons I made the switch from something I knew and loved - politics and television reporting - to something I had no clue how to do or whether I’d enjoy.
The main reason was our boss - the man who convinced me - Dallas Gurney.
He sold me a dream that was too good to resist - being a foundation member of a brand-new news and talk radio station doing something like no other.
News that moves you forward.
We would listen, challenge, debate, be curious, fierce, balanced and empathetic.
Yesterday Dallas told our team that he’s leaving for understandable personal reasons. It is devastating news for our Today FM whānau - he was our architect and our champion.
And he delivered on that promise he lured me here with. His genius actually is that he didn’t just do it - he created a team that would deliver on that promise ensuring that Today FM would endure long beyond any one of us - even him.
A year ago today I wrote and read this to you, from my first editorial:
When you’re given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of something as special as we’re creating here at Today FM - you close your eyes and take the leap.
Six months ago I could not have imagined this moment, now that I’m standing here, I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather be.
That was one year ago.
And a year on I do have a bit more of a clue about what I’m doing - a little bit - and I do know how much I enjoy it - a lot.
And those words are more true now than ever before.
Today FM is a family, we have mixed views, and mixed backgrounds, we have a newsroom full of journalists who honestly you would not believe how hard they work, our team is hilarious, they find the ridiculous in the mundane, they hate injustice, they love people, they look out for each other and we all really love and truly believe in what we do.
And we do it all for you.
So happy first birthday to us! And happy birthday and thank you to you - our Today community!!
