De Bres rebukes Newstalk ZB for failing to act

By ANGELA GREGORY and NATASHA HARRIS

Newstalk ZB has come under fire from Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres for sitting on its hands over the Paul Holmes "cheeky darkie" comments.

The criticism comes alongside praise for yesterday's decision by Mitsubishi Motors to withdraw its sponsorship of the Holmes on TVNZ, estimated to be worth at least $1 million.

An emotional Holmes used his television show last night to apologise once again for his "cheeky darkie" remarks and his jibe at women journalists, saying they were supposed to be tongue-in-cheek.

Mr de Bres said the apology was not taking things forward and Newstalk ZB needed to be accountable for broadcasting the comments.

Mitsubishi's move was in line with the strong public feeling on the issue.

"The decision sends a clear message to people in high-profile public positions and broadcasting organisations that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated."

Mr de Bres said Newstalk ZB's view that the matter was closed was not good enough.

"It was obviously not closed in the minds of the public and the station could not just move on and disregard the reasons for the public outcry."

At the end of his show, Holmes made a short speech stating his regrets at the comments he made on his radio show last Wednesday.

"Never mind that the comments were an attempt to be satirical, to be tongue-in-cheek. In the making of that, this was not clear. I was trying to shock, trying to provoke. I was tired, it didn't work and I have apologised."

In regards to asking if women journalists were making journalism "ignorant and bitchy", Holmes said it was a "silly, flippant remark" and that he had worked with brilliant women.

He said he regretted Mitsubishi's withdrawing its sponsorship of his television show and he thanked his staff for sticking by him. "The last few days have been hell for them [his staff] and they want so much to move on."

He said he had "immense pride" in presenting his television show.

"In my dealings with you, I have always tried to display humanity and compassion and humour and it gives me immense pride in being able to say, 'Goodnight, those were our people tonight'."

Newstalk ZB general manager Bill Francis said he needed more time to respond.

But earlier he told the Herald that Holmes was employed under the same sort of contract as other employees, and this included that they be neither racist nor sexist - which he did not see as relevant in this case.

"What we're talking about is a radio broadcast piece, satire that went wrong."

Mr Francis said no advertising had been cancelled since the controversy erupted.

Mitsubishi managing director John Leighton said the contract with Holmes had had another six months to run and the company had planned to renew it for another two years.

Mr Leighton said Holmes' comments about United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and women journalists were unacceptable. But Mitsubishi had no argument with TVNZ and would continue general advertising with the channel.

No pressure had come from Mitsubishi customers or staff or from the public, but since the decision to end the contract was announced the company had received many emails and calls in support.

TVNZ said in a press statement it regretted but respected Mitsubishi's decision. It said Holmes was widely acknowledged as the country's leading broadcaster, had been a loyal employee of the company for the past 14 years and would continue to front his nightly show.

Prime Minister Helen Clark, a weekly guest on Holmes' radio show, said she thought he had a tremendous reputation as a broadcaster and would be feeling humiliated by the damage to his reputation.

"I think that the individual concerned certainly feels very considerably chastened, one hopes to the extent that it wouldn't happen again."

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that TVNZ journalist Barbara Dreaver made a formal complaint to the company about Holmes last Friday, accusing it of breaching its own rules of providing a discrimination-free workplace.

* A new website has taken advantage of the controversy by marketing "Paul Holmes golliwog" dolls.

The site, cheekydarkies.com, is selling the 30cm dolls for US$75. They have an "authentic mole" on the nose and the clothing is emblazoned with a "cheeky darkie" logo.

The website says a Winston Peters "Winnie Wog" doll and a Don King doll are next up.

Racial troubles in sister firm

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the parent company of the firm that pulled the sponsorship plug on Paul Holmes' television show, has had racial and sexual harassment problems in the past.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand is a division of the corporation, which is also the parent company of Mitsubishi Motors North America.

In 2001, 250 black and Hispanic workers at the American company's plant in Normal, Illinois, were awarded US$3.2 million ($5.4 million) because of racial discrimination at work.

And in a landmark sexual discrimination case in 1998, a United States court awarded US$34 million to female workers at the plant, upholding a harassment claim. Since that ruling, the US company has followed a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

A Mitsubishi Motors NZ spokesman told the Herald that the local company was separate from the US company and had no knowledge of the US court action.