Memorable "Mike" Moments

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 24, 8 December 1939, Page 47

Memorable "Mike" Moments

(12) lan Mackay s¢ AC," genial director and M personality of the Exhibition Station, 5ZB, admits many of his microphone moments have been memorable pfid, even when not particularly ‘memorable, never dull. But then Ian Mackay is one of those people who get the most out of life. It’s hard to imagine "Mac" anything but enthusiastic-quietly so-but most emphatically one who looks on the bright side of things. On being asked to recall his most memorable mike moment, this is what he said:"Throughout the years of my broadcasting experience, I have on many

occasions been faced with decidedly odd, amusing and altogether unforgettable moments. On one occasion a relayed interview was in progress, and the first questions put to the manager of the ¢ompany who was being interviewed were flatly denied by this forceful person. Again there was the occasion when I was chatting to an old veteran in a much publicised relay-and he sat refusing to talk! "But my most outstanding ‘moment’ happened quite recently, and I still feel rather warm under the collar when I think of my effort to announce to the listeners the news of my engagement. I was conducting my usual ‘Slaps and Claps’ Session, and facing me across the microphone was Peter, for whom I had performed the offices of ‘ best man’ a year previously. I knew it would be a race between us as to who could get in first with the news, and towards the end of my session, I took a deep breath and made my announcement. Amid facetious back-chat from across the microphone, I murmured my news, fled from the studio, and only then realised that I had quite forgotten to mention the name of my fianceé. This fact made the following week’s mail rather weighty, and it was with considerable dread that I faced up to the microphone for the next session. This time I was more careful, and did the job with almost unnecessary thoroughness."