Attempt to muzzle Ralston under fire

TVNZ's Board is facing flak after claims it is trying to gag its own head of news, Bill Ralston, by getting its public relations department to vet who interviews him.

Mr Ralston, who is in Britain, is believed to be furious at what he sees as an attempt to curtail his ability to speak about news, with a confrontation looming with the PR division when he returns next week.

However, television insiders and rivals last night predicted any attempt to curtail Mr Ralston's lively language would be doomed to fail.

Chief executive Ian Fraser, who is also out of New Zealand, said through a spokeswoman that he wanted to make it absolutely clear there would be no muzzling of executives, including Mr Ralston.

The National Business Review yesterday reported that Mr Ralston had been gagged by TVNZ's board through a new policy introduced by Mr Fraser.

The network's PR unit said the report was a "slant" and not correct.

However, sources have confirmed there was a fiery row between Mr Ralston and a PR executive when she tried to enforce the board's decision for all media inquiries to be "filtered" through her department.

TVNZ said Mr Ralston had not been gagged and its media guidelines were new only to the extent that its public affairs division was new.

It would act as a "clearing house" for all media inquiries, to improve the speed of responses and to keep media requirements "front of mind" for its managers.

That would also allow Mr Fraser to know what inquiries were being made, and decide if he would take the calls or delegate them to someone else, a spokesman said.

However, it is understood the dispute involving Mr Ralston came after he gave an interview - about news - to the Independent newspaper, apparently without checking with the PR department first.

That row is believed to have happened while Mr Fraser was overseas.

One TVNZ source said the policy was nuts, and Mr Ralston would dance rings around any public relations strategy.

TVNZ's board is understood to have told Mr Fraser to act after Mr Ralston let fly at Prime chief executive Chris Taylor in March over Paul Holmes' ratings.

"If I were him, I'd be shooting myself. I'd be pouring petrol over myself and throwing myself off Auckland's tallest building," Mr Ralston said.

Mr Fraser is overseas and apparently unaware of the latest row.

TV3's head of news, Mark Jennings, said he would not allow himself to be controlled by a PR unit.

"As a news service we expect to be able to seek comment directly from whoever you're seeking it. It totally sends the wrong message."

National's state services spokesman, Murray McCully, said the filtering of executives indicated a lack of trust between them and the board.

A message left on TVNZ chairman Craig Boyce's cellphone was "filtered" by PR head Avon Adams. Mr Boyce did not call back.

* RALSTON ON ...

* Prime chief executive Chris Taylor: "If I were him I'd be shooting myself."

* TV3 feelings towards Campbell Live: "They must be wetting themselves."

* Holmes' exclusive interview with Suzanne Paul: "It's crap ... and the viewers know it's crap."