I hope if you read it or caught it over the weekend you enjoyed  the coverage of Newstalk ZB's 100th birthday.

I can tell you for nothing it is an honour and a joy to be a small part of what has become this country's greatest radio success story.

Although it has taken various iterations over the years, from a fledgling operation limited in hours by the Government through to the publicly listed operation it is today, there are very, very few companies in this country that have stood the test of time and been as successful as we have for that whole period.

One of the ironies of the success is that many companies that haven't made it got overtaken in some way by progress; technology, AI, change of customer habits, and yet radio despite having been written off so many times, has not just survived but boomed.

The radio industry in general in this country is in remarkable health. Yes there have been changes and re-shapings, expansions and retreats, start-ups and close-downs. But the industry has broadly consolidated into what it is today; profitable and used in some way by the vast, vast majority of New Zealanders each and every day.

And at the top of the pile is us.

As far as I know it remains an industry that has more stations per head of population than anywhere on Earth.

We de-regulated the industry and for a while you could buy a frequency for about three cents and start your own station. Many did because why wouldn’t you? Have a crack.

However talk radio is expensive and that’s why, comparatively, not as many had a go and as history shows us those who did venture into the area ran into trouble.

Part of the issue was Newstalk ZB. ZB has been so good for so long the truism is that to make a mark you have to find a weakness. They couldn't find one, or at least not a big enough one.

Critics often argue the ZB audience is rusted on. That is to insult the audience and show an ignorance for quality.

Part of ZB's success is never taking the audience for granted and you do that by forever looking to improve, never resting and always pushing a little harder.

The audience isn't rusted. It just hasn’t had a good enough reason to dabble elsewhere.

Longevity is the other trick. Well, longevity and consistency. The Newstalk ZB breakfast show has had two hosts in 40 years. No one comes close to matching that.

It has produced some of the greatest names the industry has ever known. It's covered the news and told our stories.

It's reflected this country and its journey better than anything and anyone.

The good news is I honestly feel not only are these its best days so far, but there are, at 100, more and better ones to come.

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