Kim Blair, a prominent radio presenter and influential media figure from Australia and New Zealand, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 54. His death comes just five months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive type of colon cancer.
Most recently serving as the Business Director at TVNZ, Blair’s career spanned three decades and encompassed radio, television, and digital media.
Throughout his illustrious career, he was widely respected on both sides of the Tasman Sea for his engaging warmth, sharp wit, and exceptional leadership.
Blair’s broadcasting career took off in Western Australia during the late 1990s, where he worked as an announcer and copywriter at 6AM Radiowest.
He went on to spend seven years with RG Capital Radio before joining Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), where he held various positions in cities like Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, and Gosford.
Prior to his tenure at TVNZ, Blair was in senior management at MediaWorks radio for almost a decade, where he played a significant role in crafting the sound of some of New Zealand’s top radio stations.
Australian and New Zealand radio presenter and media leader Kim Blair (pictured) died on Tuesday aged 54, just five months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of colon cancer
Blair’s passion for content and connection shone through every chapter of his career.
He won an ACRA during his stint as Program Director at KOFM / NXFM Newcastle, from 2008 to 2010.
His final years in Australia saw him serving as Assistant Content Director and announcer at Triple M Brisbane, where he was beloved by his colleagues.
Friends and colleagues from across the industry have paid heartfelt tribute to the much-loved media veteran.
Radio executive Rod Maldon said the pair’s shared roots in WA and early days at Radio West helped them forge an ‘immediate bond’.
‘Humble, funny, extraordinarily talented and so very missed,’ Maldon said.
‘Best of all, I got to experience that legendary sense of humour.’
Meanwhile, former SCA colleague Andrew Very remembered Blair as ‘one of the funniest, dry-witted blokes you could ever meet.’
Blair, who was most recently Business Director at TVNZ, built a three-decade-long career spanning radio, television and digital media
Across his celebrated career, Blair earned admiration across both sides of the Tasman for his warmth, wit and leadership
‘His voice seemed made for radio – instantly recognisable and warm,’ Very said.
‘From regional WA to capital city markets, and later as a content director and general manager, he gave everything to the craft he adored.
‘Even in his final days, that passion never dimmed.’
Veteran broadcaster Drew Chapman, who worked alongside Blair at Mix FM on the Sunshine Coast, and later at Triple M Brisbane and Sydney, said he was like ‘the big brother I never had.’
‘He deeply cared about everyone in his life and had the most wicked sense of humour both on and off the air,’ Chapman said.
‘The world has lost one of the most incredible humans this week.’
In 2022, Blair was a finalist in the New Zealand Radio Awards, in recognition of his services to the industry.
Blair is survived by his wife Mary, their son Tom, and his mother and brother.
