Sooden deal could cost TVNZ $30,000, says TV3

Freed hostage Harmeet Sooden's family could cost Television New Zealand $30,000 for an exclusive news deal, says rival TV3.

The family said yesterday that they would deal with no news media other than TVNZ.

The state-owned television channel confirmed it had made a deal with the family after offering to pay the airfares for family members to fly to the Middle East, but TVNZ head of current affairs Bill Ralston said he doubted it would cost as much as $30,000.

The deal came after TV3 earlier filmed one of Mr Sooden's family members in Auckland and sent the footage to the Arab television channel al Jazeera in an effort to persuade the Swords of Righteousness Brigade to release Mr Sooden and his fellow hostages.

TV3 director of news and current affairs Mark Jennings said the deal was completed after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) approached both television channels before Christmas and said the family had asked if there would be any help in getting the family to Jordan if Mr Sooden was released. He said TV3 agreed to approach airlines on the family's behalf.

"While we were doing that and we had got as far as speaking to Emirates, Mfat rang back and said 'don't bother, TVNZ is going to buy them'. I think it was three return business class flights from New Zealand, plus a return first-class flight for Harmeet, meet all their accommodation in Amman, Jordan, and unless you can top that this isn't going to go anywhere," he said.

"The baddies here are not the family, in my view. It is TVNZ who has decided it is a bit desperate in the ratings and has got its cheque book out," Mr Jennings said.

The family had refused to speak to TV3 since news came out that Mr Sooden had been released.

Mr Jennings said there had been an escalation in the war between TVNZ and TV3 and it was because of TV3's ratings performance.

"It is interesting that one Government department [Mfat] said they couldn't help them [the family]. Another Government department [TVNZ] says they can."

Asked about TV3's $30,000 estimate of the cost of the deal, Mr Ralston told NZPA: "I doubt it ... We've got a couple of air tickets and some accommodation to pay for, but there is no first class travel or anything like that.

"Our reporter Ian Sinclair has been very close to the family for the past 117 days. It's natural we'd have a relationship with them. We've built up the relationship and they were lacking the resources to get over there themselves.

"So we felt it was only fair and decent to help, and also we get a good story out of it."

Jim Tully, head of Canterbury University's School of Political Science and Communication, said the competition was a sign of the times between the two main television networks.

- NZPA