Sainsbury's milestone that TVNZ forgot

In a week that saw embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak desperately clinging to his 30-year rule, TVNZ's Mark Sainsbury was celebrating his 30-year stretch at the nation's network.

Pity then, his colleagues flat forgot.

Where was the bubbly and the customary sausage rolls? Kevin Milne marked 25 years with a glitzy gathering at a gastro-pub last year, and even curmudgeon Peter Williams toasted 30 years at a Viaduct watering hole with what appeared to be a contingent of rent-a-crowd media faces.

"Peter wants to be in the social pages," his glamorous erstwhile wife had confided to me. Now his tipple appears to be paid-for-stories in a certain women's rag.

However, a Sainso shindig is on the cards, I'm told, now the network has been alerted to the milestone.

A rep at TVNZ said plans were being made "to celebrate Mark's 30 years" at the company. "He's such a party boy so it's likely to be a really fun party."

That's an understatement. The grinning ginga's hardened-newshound credentials may be doubted, but no one questions his penchant for a party.

Rumours have long circulated about the notorious nocturnal poker gatherings the father-of-two plays host to at his inner-city man-pad, where I'm told, a lubricious reclining dentist's chair occasionally features in the merriment as do other extra-curricular activities.

Spy's spies have seen a seemingly squeaky-clean newsreader in attendance and a Gaelic clothes horse with literary pretensions.

Not that the boisterous bashes led to moments of career peril. Sainso's nothing if not the Teflon Don of television broadcasters. Nothing sticks.

Critics may ravage his stumbling and stammering performances presenting the live current affairs show Close Up, and snort derisively when a seemingly obvious question fails to emerge from his freckled lips. But he remains at the helm.

He's seen off marauding troops with their eyes on the coveted prize, such as nemesis Paul Henry, and regularly rates ahead of fill-in host Mike Hosking as the viewers' favourite.

But let's face it, Sainsbury's good-old-boy persona is growing tired. We demand more from our broadcasters than the fondness for a yodel and a yarn.

He's no patch on his good friend and arch rival John Campbell who doesn't shy from asking the hard questions. Pity Campbell's ratings aren't reflective of this.

Sainsbury wouldn't be interviewed for this story. He reckoned the milestone wasn't a big deal. But the tone of his text message response suggested otherwise.

"Things like this [30 years at the company] don't mean that much in the current TVNZ culture. No one here even knew," he wrote.

Sainsbury began his TVNZ career working as a researcher on the original Close Up 30 years ago. Now he's hosting the show. But for how much longer? Can his boss Anthony Flannery afford to wave him off with a golden handshake?

"I've had a fantastic time working for the company over those years and still work with some of the best people you could ever hope to, so it's best to leave it at that," Sainsbury texted.

Thirty years is a lifetime in television - Sainso, we salute you.

Incidentally, Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie celebrated five years together this week as One News anchors.

TVNZ honoured the anniversary by hosting a small gathering at Sale St bar on Thursday night which saw certain married revellers stay until 1am.

-Herald On Sunday / View