Maori TV executives demoted

Julian Wilcox and Carol Hirschfeld. File photo / APN

High-profile Maori Television executives Julian Wilcox and Carol Hirschfeld have been demoted from their jobs in a restructure process announced to staff at the station today.

Maori Television Service chief executive Paora Maxwell briefed his executive staff this morning about a structural realignment that has seen Mr Wilcox and Ms Hirschfeld both big casualties in the changes at the station.

He was to have made the announcement to staff about the changes at 1pm today.

The changes follow a Herald report last week that predicted the two highly-experienced broadcasters might either be made redundant or offered lesser roles within the organisation.

A source at the station said a number of executive roles had been changed to "head of department roles" - including Mr Wilcox's and Ms Hirschfeld's positions.

The Herald understands a new role called head of corporate affairs has been created at the station among several other positions including a head of programming and production role - that will oversee Mr Wilcox's old news and current affairs job.

The source said Mr Wilcox and Ms Hirschfeld are able to apply for the role but it's likely it will go to the station's current general manager programming, Haunui Royal, who is currently in Hawaii on holiday.

It's unclear whether Mr Wilcox and Ms Hirschfeld, both among the station's most-experienced journalists and broadcasters, will stay at the station.

Mr Maxwell, who controversially got the chief executive's role in March, said he was not looking at making any "radical changes in the short term" following his appointment.

In a media statement, Mr Maxwell said the proposed structure was to ensure alignment of operations to business strategy for increased performance and results.

"While three of our 180 staff would potentially face job losses we will do what we can to re-deploy the affected staff into appropriate and available roles," he said.

Six executive roles are proposed in the structure, with a number having increased strategic responsibilities.

The proposed executive roles are Head of People, Language and Culture; Head of Programming and Production; Head of Corporate Affairs; Head of Technology and Operations; Head of Multi-Platform; and Head of Finance and Admin.

Under the proposal, three of the current General Manager roles would be disestablished and the incumbents direct appointed into roles to lead teams more closely aligned in role and function. One General Manager role would become contestable and the remaining two General Manager roles remain in the proposed structure with title changes.

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