Maori TV loses fifth director

By LOUISA CLEAVE

Another director has quit the Maori Television Service - the third person to leave in as many weeks and the fifth since the board was established.

Martin Cleave yesterday confirmed he had resigned, and had not actively participated in board work for two months.

Auckland District Health Board chairman Wayne Brown and former TVNZ board member Whaimutu Dewes have also left after interim directors' contracts expired last month.

Two original directors, Joanna Paul and Hekia Parata, quit not long after the board was set up.

Departing and current directors yesterday expressed frustration over the conflicting views between the MTS and Government officials.

The MTS wants to buy the TV4 signal and broadcast in VHF. The deal with TV4 owner CanWest involves an exchange of radio frequencies.

The Government has told the MTS it would prefer that the channel broadcast on an existing UHF frequency, which requires a UHF aerial and the tuning of television sets to find the channel.

"We have a vision of a vibrant, successful television channel," MTS director Craig Soper said yesterday.

"Then we've got narrow-minded civil servants whose vision is that Maori Television be a pokey, small, indigenous, unsuccessful and unsustainable channel.

"And they're the people who advise the Government so we've got a lot of problems there."

The MTS insists the TV4 deal is still an option but that no progress can be made until after the election.

Mr Brown said some members of the Government had been positive about the VHF option.

"But Club Med [the Ministry of Economic Development] didn't. The MTS board, I think, will reject the UHF solution, but it may be forced on them."

Mr Cleave said he was frustrated that the service did not have the authority to make final decisions.

But he mainly wanted the MTS to move on without controversy over his dual role as a director and executive for Sony, which could supply the service with equipment.

Mr Cleave said he had also resigned from Sony.

"And quite frankly for getting the money we get paid [$18,000 a year] from the Government to be on that directorship, I really don't need it."

Directors Derek Fox, Ani Waaka and Wena Tait remain.

Full coverage: Maori TV