With tomorrow being your last day as the voice of Newstalk ZB morning radio it seemed appropriate to dedicate this, the last posting on the Network PR blog for 2008, to you.
You have not only made a huge impact in your field but overseen tremendous growth and change in our nation. As one of my colleagues said, “Holmes was NZ’s first celebrity broadcaster. He heralded a whole new era in New Zealand broadcasting and – for better or worse – the birth of celebrity culture in NZ.”
I imagine there are very few PR consultants in New Zealand who have not had reason to deal with you over the years and undoubtedly opinions will vary as to how “satisfactory” this experience was. But I am sure that each and every one of them would agree that you are a true star in your field.
As a seasoned listener of ZB I must confess that I have waxed and waned in my affection for you. But the retrospective discussions during the past few weeks have reminded me of the reasons that make you so special. On occasion I’ve considered that your musings have ranged from arrogant and to downright sentimental. But through it all you clearly made an impact. I often talked about what you had said to others and although I might have been tempted at times to switch off or change channels, I didn’t. Because for every moment of irritation there were many, many more moments of sheer genius.
You will likely agree that your job is not to be universally liked, but behind the broadcaster there has always been the man who really did just want to be appreciated. So it might interest you to read some of the comments my PR colleagues had to make about you.
“Paul Holmes was a controversial, loveable and hateable character – to me he embodies that ‘old school’ sense of the media.”
“It’s testament to his talent that, despite a number of high profile ‘incidents’, Paul Holmes has had such a successful broadcasting career. He is certainly a fighter – he is frank and intelligent – and while his departure from Newstalk ZB tomorrow will be a loss for the station, and no doubt many loyal listeners, it opens the door for other emerging talent to follow in his footsteps.”
I am particularly pleased that you are around to hear this praise being heaped on you. You deserve to hear it. Too often in New Zealand the only time we say nice things about people is at their wedding or funeral! I sincerely hope this is the start of another long and significant phase in your life.
The oldest child in the family breaks down the barriers, and as NZ’s first true media celebrity you did that in spades. You weathered criticism along the way – some warranted and some not – but you always remained true to your own style.
So Mr Holmes, thanks for the memories and for the many special moments you have shared with us.