Colin Magee signs off from Radio 1XX to start real estate career

Long time radio announcer Colin Magee has swapped radio for real estate, joining Ray White Ōhope.

The Whakatāne radio waves will not be the same after the final sign-off of one of the Eastern Bay’s most familiar voices.

Colin Magee, long-time Radio 1XX breakfast host and more recently morning show host, has swapped radio for real estate, joining Ray White Ōhope.

Raised in Galatea, Magee’s passion for radio began aged 12 after his first interview at the Galatea Show Day.

Hearing his own voice played back left a lasting impression.

“My first thought was, ‘wow, that could be a cool job’. After that, I listened more closely to announcers, mimicked their style for years, and ended up winning a junior announcer’s competition at age 15.”

That experience opened the door to his first part-time announcing job, and from there, Magee was hooked.

“I started at 1XX when I was 18. Back then, everything was manual, and it was a real art because you were hot mixing and everything was live.

“You worked hard between ad breaks — loading each ad, signing it off, and putting it away. These days, with computers, it’s so easy.”

After two years at 1XX, Magee ventured further afield, gaining experience around the country.

“In the ’80s, the government deregulated radio, so stations were popping up everywhere. Jobs were plentiful. About every six months, I’d get a call: ‘Hey Colin, come and work for us’. I’d hop in my car and head off to another town.”

But once bigger networks began buying up smaller stations, the industry changed forever.

“In 1990, I worked in Tauranga where we started Coastline FM — now called More FM. We had eight live announcers back then. Now there are none; everything comes out of Auckland.”

As job opportunities shrank and restructuring became the norm, Magee weathered eight takeovers before returning to 1XX in 1998.

“Whakatāne is such a great place to raise a family, and I really enjoyed coming back home.”

He went on to become a staple of the 1XX breakfast show, though he admits stepping back in recent times has had its benefits.

“I loved the breakfast show, but moving to host the 10-2 show gave me work life balance. However, in the last few years it was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day.”

Throughout his career, Magee valued the strong connections between radio, the community, businesses, and emergency services when shaping local stories.

It’s these attributes he now carries with him into a new career — real estate.

“I’ve bought and sold rentals for years, so I’ve always had an interest in property,” he said.

“I spoke with (former Whakatāne mayor) Tony Bonne about a year ago, and he told me how much he loved his job.

“That conversation planted the seed. I completed the real estate course — it was a bit of a mission — but it feels so refreshing to be doing something different.”

While the change is a challenge, he is embracing it.

“The team here [at Ray White] is so supportive, with resources, seminars, and training sessions across branches. It’s been inspirational.”