Oliver Lee set up his publishing company in 1991 and his first publication was a magazine to promote Ireland in New Zealand.
The magazine was published on Saint Patrick’s Day 17 March 1991 and distributed FREE with the Sunday Star in the North Island and the Dominion Sunday Times in the South Island of New Zealand. The print run for the first magazine was 240,000 copies.
After the success of the first Irish magazine Oliver went on to publish the Irish magazine for the next eighteen years. From 1992 onwards Oliver started publishing magazines promoting other events and sports in New Zealand.
This was the start of developing great relationships with major sporting organisations in New Zealand and since then Oliver has worked closely with the following: ANZ Bank, ANZ Championship Netball, Auckland Tennis – 1996 BellSouth Open, BikeNZ, Emirates Team New Zealand, Health Promotion Agency, National Bank of New Zealand, Netball New Zealand, New Zealand Cricket, New Zealand Endeavour – Whitbread Round the World Race 1993/94, New Zealand International Arts Festival, New Zealand Olympic Committee, New Zealand Racing, New Zealand Rugby Union, New Zealand Rugby League, Skycity NZ Breakers, Tourism Ireland, Tourism Victoria and the Vodafone Warriors.
In July 1992 he published an official guide to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and Oliver was honored by having one of New Zealand’s great middle distance runners Sir John Walker launch the magazine in Auckland in July 1992.
Oliver’s first magazine on Rugby was in 1993 when he published a magazine to promote the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand and since then Oliver has published rugby magazines every year.
Since 1992 Oliver has published magazines on subjects as varied as Basketball, Commonwealth Games, Cricket, Cycling, Fashion, Home Technology, Home & Gardening, Horse Racing, Ireland, Netball, Rugby, Rugby League, Sailing, Tennis, Tourism Victoria, and the New Zealand International Arts Festival.
All magazines are distributed FREE as inserts with either the Sunday Star Times or the New Zealand Herald.
Each magazine is fully funded by advertising and over the last twenty two years Oliver has developed great relationships with many of New Zealand’s leading companies who promote their products and services in his publications and many have credited his magazines in helping boost sales and the company profile.
Having survived over twenty two years in the tough World of publishing is testament to the hard work Oliver puts into publishing and nothing is a problem when dealing with editors, photographers, advertisers, advertising agencies, graphic designers and printers.
As well as publishing Oliver has been involved in broadcasting since 1990 when he started his weekly Irish Radio Show called Ireland Calling which is still going strong and broadcasts every week on Planet FM 104.6 between 10-11pm. The programme can also be heard on Access Radio Wellington 783AM, Coast Access Radio 104.7FM and Plains FM96.9 in Christchurch and online on www.planetaudio.org.nz/irelandcalling.
The programme includes the latest news from Ireland, the latest Irish music and news of events happening within the Irish community throughout New Zealand. Producer and presenter – Oliver Lee also interviews Irish people of interest who visit New Zealand.
Some of Oliver’s guests over the years include Irish President Mary Robinson, Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds, Irish businessman Dr. Tony O’Reilly, Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley and numerous Irish singers including Christy Moore, Paddy Moloney, Mary Black and Daniel O’Donnell.
For Irish people living in New Zealand the programme helps keep the link for these listeners to their homeland – many of whom have not been back to Ireland for over twenty or thirty years. Every September Oliver also links up with RTE Radio in Ireland to relay a broadcast of the All Ireland Hurling and Football finals.
You can contact Oliver using the details on this page.