Peter Williams (broadcaster)
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Peter Williams | |
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Born | 1 News | 6 March 1954
Peter Allan Williams (born 6 March 1954) is a New Zealand broadcaster and sports journalist who worked for the national broadcaster TVNZ between 1979 and 2018. His roles with TVNZ included hosting the 1 News 6pm weekend bulletin and serving as the southern editor of TVNZ Sports in Wellington. Between 2019 and 2021, Williams also hosted the morning talkback programme on Magic Talk, a MediaWorks radio network.
Early life and family
Williams was born in
Williams married Cecile van Dyk in 1976 and the couple had three children.[1]
Broadcasting
TVNZ, 1979–2018
Williams started his broadcasting career at
Williams has covered seven Olympic Games, including the
In 1999, Williams was awarded the
Between 2003 and 2016, Williams presented the news bulletins on
In 2010 and 2011, TV Guide readers voted him New Zealand's best news presenter.[2]
Williams retired from TVNZ with his last broadcast on the Sunday evening news on 16 December 2018.[4]
Magic Talk, 2019–2021
In January 2019, Williams became a talk show host at the
On 12 February 2021, Williams drew controversy when he directed listeners to an anti-vaccine site run by the "Voices for Freedom" group which was spreading COVID-19 misinformation.[6][2]
In mid February 2021, Williams questioned the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson about his views on the possible implications of the World Economic Forum's Great Reset for New Zealand, and the related Great Reset Conspiracy Theory. In response, Robertson ended his weekly Magic Talk interviews, stating that he did not want to "shoot down conspiracy theories."[7][8]
In early September 2021, Williams announced that he would be retiring from Magic Talk at the end of the month, stating that he wanted to "enjoy a life with fewer commitments" following a lengthy broadcasting career.[2][9] Media Works confirmed that he would be succeeded by broadcasters Leah Panapa and Danny Watson, who would host the morning and afternoon programmes respectively.[9]
Reality Check Radio, 2023–present
In March 2023, The Spinoff reported that Williams had become a host on Voices for Freedom's online radio station Reality Check Radio.[10]
Other pursuits
Williams was a sports writer and columnist from the beginning of the Herald on Sunday in 2004 until the end of 2009. He wrote predominantly about golf, a sport with which he had a close involvement during the first decade of the new century. That included a period as a selector of Auckland representative teams in 2008 and as a director of New Zealand Golf Inc during 2008 and 2009.[citation needed]
In 2010, he concentrated his sporting activity on triathlon and completed the Port of Tauranga Half (2 km swim, 90 km bike and 21.1 km run) on 8 January 2011. His time was 6 hours and 37 minutes. The effort raised over $8000 for Look Good Feel Better, an organisation which helps women suffering from cancer with make-up and hair assistance.[11][12]
Williams joined the board of the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union in April 2022,[13] and in June spoke on behalf of them at a Groundswell NZ rally against the Three Waters reform programme.[14] He has also opposed vaccinations.[15]
Personal life
Williams' first wife Cecile died of ovarian cancer in November 1996. During the time of her illness she received assistance from Look Good Feel Better.[11][12]
Williams lives with his third wife Sara at Mount Maunganui.[5]
See also
References
- ^ ISSN 1172-9813.
- ^ a b c d e f Skipwith, David; Lawrence, Kirsty (6 September 2021). "Retiring broadcaster Peter Williams was a newsman 'who called it as he saw it'". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Peter Williams". 1 News. TVNZ. 26 February 2002. Archived from the original on 12 January 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Newsreader Peter Williams signs off after 40 years with TVNZ". The New Zealand Herald. 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ a b Bertrand, Kelly (15 January 2019). "Peter Williams on why the next chapter of his career may involve offending a few people". New Zealand Woman's Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ Daalder, Mark (12 February 2021). "Magic Talk's Peter Williams gives shout-out to anti-vaxxers". Newsroom. Newsroom. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ Forrester, Georgia (19 February 2021). "Grant Robertson axes weekly interview on Magic Talk radio show". Stuff. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ Small, Zane (19 February 2021). "The Great Reset: Grant Robertson pulls out of weekly slot on Magic Talk with Peter Williams after 'shooting down conspiracy theory'". Newshub. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b Venuto, Damien (6 September 2021). "MediaWorks radio shakeup: Peter Williams to depart, Ryan Bridge confirmed AM Show host". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ Greive, Duncan (7 March 2023). "There's now Voices for Freedom online radio for people who find The Platform too woke". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Pete does Half Ironman final results". Look Good Feel Better. 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013.
- ^ a b Morgan, Scott (21 January 2011). "Off the air for a cause". Stuff. Archived from the original on 1 February 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "Peter Williams Joins Taxpayers' Union Board". Scoop. 27 April 2022.
- ^ Kelly, Rachael (8 June 2022). "Fired up crowd heckle Gore's mayor at Groundswell's 3 Waters meeting". Stuff.
- ^ "Magic Talk's Peter Williams gives shout out to anti-vaxxers". Newsroom. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2023.