Balancing the roles of radio and councillor
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
He’s a seasoned broadcaster but knows he has to watch what he says more than ever.
That's because Phill Hooper, the morning voice on the airwaves in Mid Canterbury for over 20 years, is now a councillor to boot.
Councillor Hooper, as well as being Hoops on Hokonui, is well aware of the risks of the dual roles.
“As far as the radio thing goes, it’s the same old same old but with more care around council topics,” Hooper said.
“I’ve built my show on being as local as I can and, of course, the council is a huge part of that.”
Hooper aims to be a voice on the Ashburton District Council but not their voice on the airwaves.
He's conscious of airing an opinion on something on air that may impact his eligibility to vote on it at the council table due to pre-determination or using his position to push an agenda.
His weekly on-air chats with Mayor Neil Brown and chief executive Hamish Riach will continue.
“As I’ve done in the past, I’ll ask the questions and let them do the answering.”
There will be some adjustment to be made but he won't be Hoops on air forever.
“The balls up in the air at the moment and [I'm] just currently weighing up my options with timing and lifestyle changes,” he said.
Hooper said he was sitting his real estate papers again as he considered a possible move away from breakfast radio.
“I’ve loved the job for so many years but there comes a time when you don’t feel valued,'' he said.
“I used to sell real estate in between radio gigs for a few years and really enjoyed it, too.
“I see it as maybe an option to work in nicely with the council, and I might be able to have breakfast with family for the first time in many years.”
As for settling into the role of councillor Hooper, he said it’s still early days, but he's enjoying it even more than he thought he would.
“What has probably kept me fired up in radio for the last few years has been the ability to help people.
“I see the council as the next level and being part of some real change, and that’s exciting.”
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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