Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Producer and presenter of Spectrum

Deborah Nation has been making Spectrum documentaries since 1998. Before that, she made programmes about the arts, disabilities, education and religion, and for three years was the rural reporter for Canterbury, in a career with Radio New Zealand that has spanned 20 years.

Born and raised in central Hawke’s Bay, she moved to the South Island to attend Canterbury University. After a Bachelor of Arts and a post-graduate diploma in teaching she returned to teach at a social welfare school in Hawke’s Bay before taking off for three years overseas, hitchhiking and working in a variety of jobs.

A chance position as a reporter for Radio Blue Danube in Vienna introduced her to the style of radio feature making that has been her preference ever since. Her microphone became a passport for exploring the city and the people, just as it is now a means for exploring the South Island of New Zealand.

Deborah supplements her part-time position at Radio New Zealand with freelance work, such as writing for NZ House and Garden, working on the Ngai Tahu magazine Te Karaka and tutoring in broadcasting at the Canterbury School of Journalism.