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Radio Hauraki co-founder has died

DATELINE   New Zealand,  9th March 2024

David Gapes, one of the co-founders of New Zealand offshore station, Radio Hauraki, has died.

David Gapes was born in 1942 in Wellington, New Zealand. With a background in journalism  beginning in 1959 at Wellington’s Evening Post, David also worked at the NZ Truth in Auckland before relocating to Sydney, where he spent two years at the Daily Mirror. While in Australia, he became an expert in all forms of radio and began studying private radio in the northern hemisphere as well as Australia’s mix of public and privately funded stations.

Returning to New Zealand in 1965, he felt frustrated by the state of the country’s broadcasting restrictions and lack of freedom. Convinced the government and New Zealand Broadcasting Service wouldn’t allow him to secure a land-based radio licence due to their lack of private licence approvals, he looked elsewhere - offshore.

After successfully pitching the idea to Denis O’Callahan and attracting the interest of two ex-NZBC employees, studio technician Derek Lowe and announcer Chris Parkinson, the idea became a reality.

The four men became founders of Radio Hauraki, in 1966, which in the face of government opposition won sufficient public support to break the state broadcasting monopoly.

Gapes publicly headed Radio Hauraki’s fight against government policy in broadcasting and, when in 1969/1970 Radio Hauraki was afforded the chance to apply for a radio licence, he steered the company through the application process.

It was initially thought it would only take them a few weeks at sea before the licence was granted, but the whole campaign took 1111 days in the end.

He became Chairman and Chief Executive of Radio Hauraki when the public company was formed in 1969 and stayed in the role until 1977. As private radio developed in the 1970s he was an unpaid adviser to many new applicants around New Zealand.

David Gapes also managed the rock group Hello Sailor and later returned to journalism, working for the Star, then as the first editor of film and television industry magazine OnFilm, and later the editor of AdMedia. He also founded and edited the daily online newsletter M+AD.

He was awarded the officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting in 2019.

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READ THE HISTORY OF RADIO HAURAKI’S OFFSHORE DAYS HERE