1519 days ago

Jason Pine

Rhondda Sweetman from Plimmerton Rotary

David and Marg Pine are rightly proud of their son Jason, who has been a high-flier all his life and who gave us a most interesting talk this week. This is the second time Jason has been our guest speaker.

After a false start pursuing a career in the law, Jason saw the light and enrolled at Broadcasting School in Christchurch. This was followed by the normal progression in Broadcasting- working at a succession of regional stations but getting ever closer to the centre and to national exposure.

Jason, a keen sportsman himself, specialised in sports reporting and commentating, especially for the Phoenix. This sector of Broadcasting has faced hard times lately, mostly because of the pandemic. RadioSport was closed at very short notice, leading to job losses, but Jason moved elsewhere in NZME and now has two roles: he fronts a nine to noon slot as newsreader/journalist, and does sports commentating as well. He considers himself privileged to work in an area he loves.

For the three-hour morning show, he works closely with his producer. Each hour of airtime requires an hour of preparation, and they have to be ready for unexpected developments, and to respond quickly. While issues of the day and listener involvement drive the programme, they look for ‘big hits’- interviews with well-known sports personalities, which need careful arranging.

Jason has had much advice from senior sports commentators (he singled our Brian Waddle as a star performer) and put it to good use. On radio, the field position of the action is critical to the listeners’ understanding. On TV, it is important to avoid over-describing what viewers can see for themselves, and to be accurate in identifying key players at critical moments, such as goal-scoring.

Jason noted some trends: spectator sport is becoming more diverse, and there is much less coverage of local matches.
An enthusiastic and engaging talk by a seasoned professional.

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More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.

While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.

And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?

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Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
  • 40.8% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
    40.8% Complete
  • 57.4% No, I enjoy it
    57.4% Complete
  • 1.8% Other - I'll share below
    1.8% Complete
1189 votes
1 day ago

Don't overthink this riddle...

The Neighboury Riddler

I have a silver sole
but no feet,
I make my living by bringing the heat.
What am I?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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3 days ago

We're taking the bus!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The number of Wellingtonians taking the bus and train rose by 3% last week compared to the same time last year, according to Metlink.

Not surprising given petrol prices at the moment. But if you're considering giving up your car commute for a leisurely bus ride in the mornings, it would be worth it.

It's about to get even easier: In April, e-pay will be launched, meaning you can tap on with your credit cards as well as smart devices.

It's better on the environment too: With most Metlink trains running on electricity, 25% of the bus fleet being EV’s and the Ika Rere electric ferry, Metlink is able to move more people using less fuel than any other transport option.

With fuel costs so high, it's a good idea to jump on board if you can. If you've become a public transport convert recently, how have you found it?

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