Friendly Islands
p. 58 · Read in the full issue
Man Behind The Call Of The Friendly Islands
From a Nukualofa Correspondent Mr. R. Geoff Haggett, the man who has seen Station ZCO grow from a new baby to a lusty infant with a voice that can be heard for thousands of miles, goes back to New Zealand in late January.
HIS place as manager of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission will be taken by Mr. R. E. Lavin, who is a friend of Mr. Haggett.
Mr. Haggett arrived in Tonga in February, 1961. The new station was opened on July 4 that year.
As Tonga has no newspapers the radio station quickly became a vital part of local life. A considerable part of broadcast time is devoted to news, school broadcasts and Government and community service programmes.
But the musical programmes are noted for their brightness too, and as “The Call of the Friendly Islands”, ZCO is listened to regularly in the Samoas, the Cooks, Fiji, the Gilbert and Ellice and New Zealand, As many as 5,000 letters have been re ceived in a month from listeners.
ZCO, although Government-con trolled, accepts advertising and the number of sponsors has been grow ing.
Apia businessman Mr. E. F. Paul left Western Samoa in mid-January for a five-week business trip to Aus tralia and New Zealand.
Mr. GeofF Haggett.