PM tells TV bosses to 'grow up'

Bill Ralston

Prime Minister Helen Clark has criticised bosses of TV current affairs shows involved in a war of words.

Her comments come after TVNZ head of news Bill Ralston attacked Prime and TV3.

Slating Holmes' new programme, Mr Ralston told the Herald on Sunday that he would be pouring petrol over himself and "throwing himself off Auckland's tallest building" if he were Prime's chief executive, Chris Taylor.


And he said TV3 must be "wetting themselves" having made "a major cock-up" moving John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld from the news to the new Campbell Live programme which starts tonight.

Helen Clark said today on Newstalk ZB: "My advice to senior figures across channels would be to grow up."

However, TVNZ head Ian Fraser is standing behind Mr Ralston, whose criticism of TV3 and Paul Holmes yesterday has disgusted rival television chiefs.

Mr Ralston's attack came on the eve of TV3's entry to the hotly contested 7pm current affairs slot.

Yesterday, Mr Fraser said he might have phrased Mr Ralston's comments "in a less poetic fashion" but he stood by his man.

Mr Fraser said he understood Mr Ralston's frustration at being "up against a group of big-mouth Aussies over at Prime who have talked up a storm and failed to deliver and have been indulged all the way through by many other members of the media".

"We are entitled to speak robustly and truthfully about the product of our competitors. As everybody knows, the game we are now in is a tough game and I think a bit of sledging is allowed."

TV3 news head Mark Jennings suggested Mr Ralston was "getting a bit tense".

Mr Ralston's department had been in the papers for numerous staffing issues, such as salaries, personality clashes and and procedures for appointing staff.

Mr Ralston was not resiling from his broadside yesterday, saying it was payback time for comments made about TVNZ in the past.

"Everyone seems to think it's a fair go to have a go at TVNZ news and current affairs whenever they want. When you try and have a crack back they cry foul. Why can't you have a shot back every now and then? Basically, what I said is factually correct."

Campbell also contributed to the pre-fight exchanges, telling the Sunday Star-Times that Holmes was a "prick" and a "wanker".

But last night he was stepping back a little. "I really quite like the guy, but I have been on the receiving end of his more Holmes-esque moments over the years.

"I think possibly, collectively, we've lost the plot a little bit. Not only the people at the centre of it, like me, Bill and Paul, but I think the people reporting on it have lost the plot as well. It is just tele, and whatever happens we are all going to survive and no one is going to end up covered in petrol."

Mr Fraser said he had never respected Prime's chances. "But we do have respect for John Campbell. I've got no doubt he will produce a good show."