Sharon Margaret Crosbie (born 1945) is a former broadcaster and broadcasting executive from New Zealand. She served as the chief executive of

Radio New Zealand Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and c ...

from 1995 to 2004.

Life

Born in

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

in 1945, Crosbie studied at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

. She joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in 1969 and worked in a variety of roles in television and radio, including as host of the morning segment on the National Programme between 1978 and 1984. Crosbie was appointed chief executive of Radio New Zealand in 1995, and remained in that position until 2004. In 1984, Crosbie was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and a Neiman Fellowship in journalism at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. She has been chairperson of the New Zealand Drama School, a 1990 Commissioner, a member of the New Zealand–Japan Foundation, a member of the Women’s Refuge Foundation Trust Board and was chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Core Health Services. She is chair of the Electra Trust, an electricity distribution trust based in Levin. Ahead of the 1989 local-body elections there was speculation she would seek the Citizens' Association nomination for Mayor of Wellington. She laughed at the suggestion and though it was "extraordinary" that there was speculation she would be a candidate. In 1992 she was again speculated as a candidate for mayor (this time for the Labour Party) at that year's local-body election. Later on she was approached to stand for Labour at the

1992 Wellington Central by-election The 1992 Wellington Central by-election was a by-election held in the electorate during the 43rd New Zealand Parliament, on 12 December 1992. It was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Fran Wilde after her election as mayor of Wellington ...

, but declined to do so.

Honours and awards

In the

1989 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1989 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...

, Crosbie was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to broadcasting. The following year, she was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

. In the

2004 Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours 2004 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 11 June 2004 for the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Cook IslandsCook Islands list: and elsewhere to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2004. The recipients of honours are d ...

, she was made a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...

, for services to broadcasting and the community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosbie, Sharon 1945 births Living people People from Rangiora Victoria University of Wellington alumni New Zealand broadcasters Radio executives New Zealand chief executives New Zealand women chief executives Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire