Quotation for Today, Saturday August 1

TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis has denied Ralston’s claims. He said he had never experienced any political interference during his time at the top, and did not accept that there had been political interference in the running of TVNZ.

He said responsibility for the turmoil might lie closer to home. “Bill was head of news and current affairs, it was his job to run [that department], and any executive, as far as I’m concerned, should take responsibility and be accountable for the performance and actions of the business whilst they are in charge.”

But his predecessor Ian Fraser, who was chief executive from 2002 to 2005, said there was certainly government influence over TVNZ. “It’s part of the difficulty of being TVNZ, with the government as a shareholder, but having to make commercial decisions which are then subject to political overview and second-guessing.”

When he was told that Ellis denied any political interference, Fraser replied, “That’s what I would have told you when I was chief too”.

Michelle Coursey in an article for the NZ Herald which detailed claims by Bill Ralston about political interference at TVNZ. Ralston had specifically mentioned Helen Clark.

Anyone nostalgic for the ancien regime?

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