TVNZ boss offers to quit

TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser has offered his resignation after a tumultuous three-and-a-half years at the helm of the state broadcaster.

The board of TVNZ has so far refused to accept the resignation and chairman Craig Boyce is planning to meet Mr Fraser tomorrow to ask him to stay on.

"He's been through three very tough years.

"He's perfectly entitled to determine what he wants to do in his life. If that's his decision I would be very disappointed," said Mr Boyce.

He said he wanted to be able to talk Mr Fraser out of leaving, but was unsure whether he would be able to.

"I'll be up in Auckland on Monday. I'll be having discussions with Ian then. As far as I'm concerned he's still the chief executive. We'll be in a position following those discussions to move forward."

It is believed Mr Fraser's resignation offer followed a proposal by him to make TVNZ less commercial. The veteran interviewer, who left TVNZ in 1998 after his show Fraser was axed, returned to the broadcaster in 2002.

His key role was to oversee TVNZ's move from a profit-motivated, state-owned enterprise to a charter-driven Crown company.

Mr Fraser has presided over a turbulent time for the state broadcaster, and was behind the hiring of news boss Bill Ralston as head of news and current affairs.

Under the direction of both, some of the best-loved faces on television have left.

Paul Holmes has gone to Prime, and the news-reading duo of Richard Long and Judy Bailey split. Long left and Bailey is soon to follow.

However, Mr Ralston's time has also seen deep divisions form inside the newsroom. Meanwhile, Mr Fraser has inherited the state broadcaster at a time when the TVNZ charter demands an increase in New Zealand programmes.

It has seen a huge amount of money poured into independent production companies and an increase in support for locally produced drama.

Mr Boyce said he fully endorsed the jobs both Mr Fraser and Mr Ralston had done, even though aspects of the changes had attracted strong public criticism.

"[Ian Fraser] is still the chief executive. No question about it. He's still running the ship. I'm very pleased he's there. Nobody else could have done the job he has done since the passing of the 2003 Television NZ Act and the bringing in of the charter. He is the one who has guided the company so well.

"Bill Ralston has the full support of the board. He's doing a great job. The ratings have started to show it. We are really, really pleased with what's happening in news and current affairs."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY