Step by step guide to getting a (brief) job in broadcasting

By PAULA OLIVER and LOUISA CLEAVE

The sacking of John Davy this week put the spotlight on the process used to appoint him. The parties involved will not discuss what happened, but this is what the Herald has been able to establish:

* Millennium People, a two-year-old husband and wife recruitment firm based in Wellington, wins a tender to fill four positions at the Maori Television Service. The firm, which specialises in Maori recruitment, is to be paid $70,000 for its work. It has already been involved in the appointment of four MTS board members.

* Advertisements are placed for the jobs of chief executive and chief financial officer. The chief executive advertisement says that "if you want to teleport your career into the future", then your CV should be with Millennium People by 5pm, December 21, 2001. * It is not known how many people apply for the job of chief executive.

* John Davy sends his CV to Millennium People, answering the call for an "executive dream team". He has previously applied for eight jobs with another recruitment firm but has not made it to the interview stage for any. Sources at the firm told the Herald his CV did not stack up.

* According to Finance Minister Michael Cullen, Mr Davy's application was actually for the chief financial officer position - not chief executive. It was Millennium People who suggested he be upgraded to chief executive.

* Eventually a shortlist of six is put together for the chief executive job. Three of the finalists are Maori.

* "Extensive" checks are made of Mr Davy's referees, Millennium People claims.

* The board appoints Mr Davy as chief executive on March 14 this year. Dr Cullen says Mr Davy was appointed by the board after it was told by Millennium People that he was the best person for the job.

* Opposition MPs claim that at some point of the process, Millennium People told the MTS board in writing that security and credit checks should be completed on Mr Davy. MTS chairman Derek Fox has been quoted as saying, "They asked a junior member of our staff to make these checks, and that person was not in a position to receive those instructions". The matter of who was responsible for checks is now in dispute. An Ernst & Young report on the issue will go to Dr Cullen next week.

The appointment of Mr Davy raised eyebrows when it was first announced in March because he was not Maori and could not speak the language. But there were other questions, too: why didn't he fit the criteria listed in the Millennium People advertisement for the chief executive role?

"You will have: television broadcasting experience at a senior level," the ad stated. Mr Davy did not, and he admitted that.

"You will have: a strong knowledge of television information technology developments," the ad stated. It is questionable how Mr Davy could have when he had no television experience.

"An understanding of tikanga Maori and te reo Maori is desirable, however an affinity for things Maori and a willingness to extend your understanding of Maori culture, values, dynamics and aspirations is required," the ad stated. Mr Davy's only words of Maori when he took over, as the Herald was told, were "kia ora". But he did want to learn more.

One requirement Mr Davy did meet was "a penchant for innovation".

Full coverage: Maori TV