By Salt 106.5 Network Wednesday 12 Jun 2024NewsReading Time: 5 minutes

Former Chair of Salt 1065 Stephen O’Doherty is still coming to terms with receiving an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) for “Service to the Community through a range of Organisations” in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Key points

• “The time I have been able to invest in service to Hope Media, the Co-Mission and Christian Media generally is among the most meaningful, exciting and important of anything I’ve been involved with,” Stephen said.
• Stephen’s life has been guided by his ‘mission verse’, taken from Ephesians 4:1 “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (NIV).
• “Everyone in the organisation has a story,” Stephen said of his approach to leadership.
  

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Stephen was among 737 Australians to be named in the list, which was announced by the Governor-General David Hurley ahead of the King’s Birthday public holiday on June 10.

“It’s an incredible honour to have been nominated and accepted for this award,” Stephen said.

Awarded “for service to the community in a range of organisations”, the OAM recognises Stephen’s involvement with organisations including Hope Media (Hope 1032 Sydney), Family Radio (96five Brisbane), Salt 106.5 (Sunshine Coast) and Juice 107.3 (Gold Coast), in both Chair and board member positions. The list also recognises Stephen’s involvement with sector body Christian Media and the Arts Australia (CMAA) and a position on the Community Broadcasting Roundtable.

Stephen began his career in commercial radio, then moved into television before becoming a Shadow Minister in the NSW Parliament. He then served as CEO of Christian Schools Australia and has been involved in music and the arts since the 80s.

Integral player in Christian media

For more than two decades, Stephen has been an integral player in the Australian Christian media industry, including serving on the board of Salt 1065 and several other Christian radio stations.

“The time I have been able to invest in service to Hope Media, the Co-Mission and Christian Media generally is among the most meaningful, exciting and important of anything I’ve been involved with,” Stephen said.

“It is an incredible honour to stand with my great friend Phillip Randall, fellow Co-Mission Board members and our incredible staff, volunteers and supporters in building something of enduring value, changing lives by connecting people with meaningful experiences of God’s love.

“The time I have been able to invest in service to Hope Media, the Co-Mission and Christian Media generally is among the most meaningful, exciting and important of anything I’ve been involved with,” Stephen said.

“Together, what we’ve built is a unique entity in Australian media, in community media.”

Stephen was instrumental in the creation of the Co-Mission, a project working towards sharing resources among Christian radio stations.

“When the Community Broadcasting Association talked about its ten-year future, collaborations like the Co-Mission were right up there in ways the sector can be sustainable and have the impact that community broadcasting needs to have for Australia to be a successful, harmonious society,” Stephen said.

Stephen is the Musical Director and Principal Conductor of the Golden Kangaroos Hornsby Concert Band.

Live a life worthy

Stephen’s life has been guided by his ‘mission verse’, taken from Ephesians 4:1 “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (NIV).

“I’ve approached everything I’ve been asked to do with that in mind and as an act of service,” he said.

“I didn’t know why God called me into Parliament, but I went in with an attitude of service, to be the best backbencher I could be.”

Stephen’s life has been guided by Ephesians 4:1 “live a life worthy of the calling you have received”.

Meeting those who helped shape his thinking along the way has been a highlight for Stephen. World Bank economist Michael Schluter’s leadership approach had a huge impact on Stephen.

“He developed a series of relational principles for organisations and public policy, all derived from Biblical truth,” he said.

“I adapted them in policy making as a shadow minister, and then for Christian Education.

“When I joined Hope Media’s board and subsequently became Chair, I used those principles as part of my leadership approach.

Stephen O’Doherty OAM: “It’s an incredible honour to have been nominated and accepted for this award.”

“Leadership is about relationship”

“Everyone in the organisation has a story,” Stephen said of his approach to leadership.

“Leadership is about relationship; leadership is about service.

“Leadership is about seeing the vision and purpose of the organisation and joining everyone’s story together to embrace a unified purpose for the organisation, in our case to achieve a significant Biblical goal: to give people experiences of God’s love, and in doing so, help enhance their lives and help change the world.

“That’s a pretty big calling and, without God, one could never contemplate such a thing!”

“Everyone in the organisation has a story,” Stephen said.

Stephen’s approach to leadership has seen him work to create teams at a board level, “where everyone’s story was respected, and all joined into the same purpose”.

Despite Stephen’s broad experience in the industry, being named among so many inspirational Australians has come as a surprise.

“Receiving this is quite overwhelming and humbling,” Stephen said.

The award will be presented in an investiture ceremony at Government House later this year.

The official citation

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division

Mr Stephen Mark O’Doherty, Dural NSW 2158

For service to the community through a range of organisations.

Christian Media
• Chair, Family Radio Limited, since 2016.
• Chair, Sunshine Coast Christian Broadcasters Limited, 2019-2024.

Christian Media and Arts Australia
• Director, since 2013.
• Member, Finance Committee, and Advocacy and Policy Committee, current.

Hope Media Limited (Christian radio broadcaster)
• Chair, 2005-2023.
• Director, 2003-2023.
• Host and Executive Producer, Open House program, 2017-2018.

The Arts
• Patron, Studio ARTES (Northside), since 2000.
• Principal, Stephen O’Doherty Communication (strategic comms and music services), since 2017.
• Convenor, Roundtable of Instrumental, Vocal and Music Education Organisations (RIVMEO), 2020- 2022.

Golden Kangaroos Hornsby Concert Band
• Musical Director and Principal Conductor, since 2009.
• Musician and Bandmaster.
• Life Member, 2014.

Education
• Director, Excelsior College, 2016-2018.
• Chief Executive Officer, Christian Schools Australia, 2002-2016.

2GB
• Broadcaster, Breakfast and Drive programs, 1991-1992.
• Journalist and Presenter, Sundown Rundown and the 12:30 Report, 1980-1988.

Media – Other
• Member, Community Broadcasting Sector Roundtable, since 2003.
• National Affairs Reporter, The Walsh Report, Network Ten, 1990-1991.
• NSW State Political Reporter, 7:30 Report, ABC, 1989.

Parliament of New South Wales
• Member for Hornsby, 1999-2002.
• Member for Ku-ring-gai, 1992-1999.
• Shadow Treasurer, 2000-2001.
• Shadow Minister for Community Services and Disability Services, 1999-2000.
• Shadow Minister for Education and Training, 1995-1999.

Awards and Recognition include:
• Most Compelling Content – Audio, Christian Media and the Arts Australia Awards, 2018.
• Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary District 9685, 2015.

The complete list of recipients can be found here.

All images supplied.