A giant of the radio industry for more than 50 years, Peter Harvie has passed away.
Mr Harvie, a Radio Hall of Fame inductee, started his career as a radio writer at Clemenger in 1966.
His career ended when he retired from the SCA board in 2017.
Mr Harvie had worked his way up through the ranks of Clemenger, Melbourne to become Managing Director of a restructured Clemenger Harvie in 1974.
In 1993, he left the advertising agency to become MD of the Triple M Network and in 2001 became the Executive Chairman of Austereo Group Ltd. 10 years later, he led the merger of Austereo with Southern Cross Broadcasting to become the diverse media company, Southern Cross Austereo.
Mr Harvie was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.
One of his successors, Brad March told radioinfo, “He was MD when I was Group Content Director and when I became Group Managing Director, he became Executive Chairman.
“Very smart and passionate, incredibly hard working and very supportive of great talent. Lived and loved a very full big life. Wonderfully eccentric and funny.
“Harvie was always the first person in the building 7-7.30 am at the latest, and always the last to leave,” said Brad March.
Peter Harvie, Brad March, Brian Bickmore and Michael Anderson was the team that floated Austereo on the ASX valuing the company at about $1billion at the time.
Mr Harvie was a mentor to Kyle Sandilands who told radioinfo, “Peter Harvie was a true boss.. in every sense of the word. He saved me more than once in my career and above all allowed creative people to shine. Will be missed but his teachings and guidance will live on.”
Andy Lee posted on Instagram: “Just heard of the passing of one of the great humans I have ever come to know. He protected Hamish and I as we made our way into the industry and was a great ear for all my questions along the ride. Good mentors are hard to find and I hope you knew how much I appreciated your tidbits of wisdom. Chairman Harvie, you’ll be sorely missed. You’ve been on my wall for the last ten years and will stay there.”
Big love, Chairman Lee
Hamish Blake replied: “We were so lucky to have a chair at that table so many times.”