KEY POINTS:
The troubled relationship between TVNZ and the production industry that supplies it has hit the rocks again.
This time the bad feeling is over comments by the TVNZ commissioner of programmes Tony Holden at a Screen Producers and Development Association (Spada) function this month.
Industry sources at the gathering said that Holden - whose department controls three-quarters of funding for the TV production industry worth about $50 million - was a guest with other TVNZ executives.
That included chief executive Rick Ellis, who won praise for his speech about production funding, and the new head of television, Jeff Latch.
Sources said the commissioning boss gave a "robust" sideline commentary about the merits and deficiencies of some high-profile programme makers and others attending the function.
Spada declined to comment, saying it was TVNZ's issue. Neither Spada nor TVNZ named Holden.
But the broadcaster has confirmed that "there was an incident at a Spada social occasion where an employee's conduct was not unacceptable to TVNZ .
"The company had made its requirements very clear to the individual concerned. The matter is being treated as an employment issue and there will be no other comment," said spokeswoman Megan Richards.
Holden, who did not return calls, has been popular with some producers, who say he has shown flashes of brilliance, but less so with others.
He was the brains behind popular series such as Spin Doctors and was appointed by former chief executive Ian Fraser.
During Fraser's time as CEO Holden developed a large degree of autonomy in deciding which projects got made.
But because the commissioner's job at TVNZ is so important - it can make or break a company - it is under close scrutiny from the industry.
"It is the most watched job in the television business. Everybody is paranoid about what you do and say," said a source familiar with the role. Indeed, the production industry effectively overruled Fraser's earlier choice for the commissioning editor role when it objected to the appointment of Tom Parkinson.
Given the furore, Parkinson decided to withdraw and a furious Fraser branded the production industry publicly as "a mean-spirited pack of bastards".
Several years later and despite another regime change, it seems that the relationship has not healed.
Family Break-up
Telecom has withdrawn from being one of the four major backers of the Auckland University of Technology's entry into the magazine market. It is apparently leaving the business magazine Idealog because of a change in the marketing policy.
Idealog founder Vincent Heeringa said the loss one year after launch was not because of any major differences and he expected to name a new "family" member soon.
Other backers include Microsoft, intellectual property company Baldwins and Image Centre. The latest issue is the first since the departure of Telecom.
Smith to Vodafone Live!
Whatever happened to Stephen Smith, the former assistant chief executive of TVNZ who left soon after the top job was given to Rick Ellis?
An announcement is expected soon that he has been appointed to head the 3G content division at Vodafone.
A client of the company said Vodafone had been making a slow entry into buying 3G content from TV producers, partly because it was still getting its head around how to make money on digital content.
Creative Christmas
Saatchi & Saatchi creative director Toby Talbot will be having a very merry Christmas after securing a big pay rise.
Talbot, who with Saatchi's executive creative director Mike O'Sullivan is among New Zealand's top advertising creatives, had been wooed by up-and-coming agency Y&R.
But an ad industry source said that in the time-honoured tradition of holding on to creative talent, Saatchi threw buckets of money at Talbot and he has agreed to stay.
It was reported this month by ad industry blog Creative Circle that New York advertising agency Droga 5 had lured away Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland's Matty Burton and Dave Bowman.
The traffic has not been all one way. Saatchi got back top account director Sonya Berrigan from DDB Advertising where she was one of the four top management partners.
In turn Berrigan was replaced at DDB by Mike Watkins, who made his name as the suit at the late lamented agency Meares Taine.
Aussie rules
During the after-match function for The Warehouse Group annual meeting last week I found myself chatting to Aussie businessman John Dahlsen, who is now on The Warehouse board.
As a former long-time chairman of Woolworths Australia, which looks to be sizing up The Warehouse for a takeover, he will be able give the board some valuable advice in the years ahead.
But outside retailing, Dahlsen is also a player in the Australian media sector as the chairman and a significant shareholder of Southern Cross Broadcasting, with interests in Australian regional television and radio including 2UE in Sydney and 3AW in Melbourne.
The company hit the headlines recently when media investment company Macquarie Media Group took a 13.8 per cent blocking stake in the company, leading to speculation about its intentions.
Dahlsen said speculation about Macquarie's plans for Southern Cross were partly the result of a "myth" that the broadcaster has an open share register, a status that would make it easier to take over.
But he explained that the board has about a 20 per cent "friendly" shareholding.
"For instance, myself. In the annual report you will see my shareholding but you will not see my wife and children. We probably have about 15 per cent," he said.
Dahlsen pointed out that Macquarie will be preoccupied with its recent bid for Qantas airlines.
But he acknowledged that Macquarie Media Group has a bit of debt capacity.
Overall Dahlsen has been surprised by the changes to the media sector so far.
"I thought there would be straightforward takeovers. I did not predict the deals like Kerry Stokes and James Packer have done.
"I thought media companies would go into partnership with the leveraged buyout buyers. I did not think they would sell off half their business."
