He is best remembered as a radio broadcaster on medical subjects, particularly on The Body Program for ABC which he wrote and presented from 1971 to 1982.
His weekly "The Body Program" running from 1971 to 1982, was well received, with its amalgam of medical information, poetry, wit, irreverence and bawdiness, all delivered with Hackett's friendly cultured voice.
He had resigned from the IMVS to further his interests in broadcasting and other ventures, including a (failed) private blood bank.
[1] His stint as acting chairman lasted only six months: he was summarily dismissed and replaced by Sir Henry Bland.
[2] Hackett married a nurse, Eileen Carroll, born in Swaziland of Irish parents.