Henry sorry - but not sorry enough

Paul Henry in holiday mode in Hawke's Bay this week. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Sorry - but not sorry enough. That is the message for disgraced broadcaster Paul Henry.

TVNZ's Breakfast show is back on air tomorrow without its high-profile host, a week after Henry made racist comments about Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand.

Tonight, one of television's premier gigs, This Is Your Life, will go ahead with Paul Holmes standing in for Henry while he sits out a 12-day suspension.

TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis has cast doubt on Henry's future in the company and spokeswoman for the state broadcaster Megan Richards said the situation was "volatile". Staff were working overtime to deal with more than 700 formal complaints.

Yesterday Henry was not contactable. His Auckland home and his Hawke's Bay holiday home were empty. His partner Lindsay Dryburgh was at home but refused to discuss the issue.

Public relations specialist Malcolm Boyle, of Star PR, drafted his version of a recommended personal apology from Henry to Satyanand, which he believed Henry should have said in the first instance.

He said Henry would be well aware he had made a huge mistake and was yet to show the right amount of remorse.

From a PR perspective, Boyle said he would have liked to have seen a stronger realisation from Henry that what he said was inappropriate.

"Not because other people have taken offence to it but because what he said was wrong," said Boyle. "It seems to be that Paul Henry believes that you fight your way out of trouble, not edge your way out."

A spokesman for John Key said the Prime Minister would continue to appear on Breakfast as he had done for the past three years. Key had spoken to Satyanand this week but it would be "inappropriate" to talk about the content of the discussion.

Last night Key said he would not give advice to TVNZ on whether to sack Henry. "In the end TVNZ has statutory regulations and it would be wrong of me to step in and tell TVNZ how to run their business. If we broke that link it would be dangerous for democracy in New Zealand," Key said.

Regular Breakfast guests have told the Herald on Sunday of how producers push Henry to be outrageous.

Even Key said this week that Henry was encouraged "to a certain degree" by his TVNZ bosses.

His latest comments were too much for technology commentator Ben Gracewood, who announced he would not return to his guest spot on Breakfast.

Another regular said a few of the show's guests were troubled by Henry's behaviour and were unsure what to do next.

"On one hand you're worried about being tarred by association by taking no action, but you also can't come out a week later when it has all blown up and say 'I quit'," said the guest. "We go on air for five minutes every now and then and we don't really get an indication of what the guy is like.

"When you're interviewed [by producers] to go on Breakfast they actually ask you whether you can handle Paul Henry."

Media commentator Brian Edwards said TVNZ may have become complacent about Henry's previous slip-ups and failed to anticipate the public backlash.

"They failed to realise that this breach [of broadcasting standards] was different - the question was racist ... it was insulting not only to the Governor-General but to New Zealanders at large," said Edwards.

The apology that wasn't an apology

What he said: "Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time? Are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?"

Apology one: "I sincerely apologise to the Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, for any offence I may have caused. If my comments have personally offended Sir Anand, I regret it deeply."

Apology two: "I am sincerely sorry if I seemed disrespectful to him [Sir Anand], that was not what I intended and I certainly didn't intend to sound racist. It was wrong for me to ask the questions that I did. So let me make it quite clear I will never apologise for causing outrage, however I will, and do, apologise for causing real hurt and upset to anyone."

What he should say: "Dear Sir Anand, I realise I have caused you offence for remarks I made on Breakfast on October 4. What I said was offensive and I unreservedly offer my personal apologies and regret. There are no excuses for my remarks. They were an ill-judged attempt to create controversy and provoke reaction. I regret that I caused personal offence to you and your family in such a public forum. On reflection I recognise that I have inappropriately used my position as a national broadcaster and person of influence."

- Recommended apology by Malcolm Boyle, Star PR.