New TVNZ head braces for media spotlight

Sir John Anderson

Media-shy businessman Sir John Anderson reluctantly accepts the glare of publicity he will face as chairman of TVNZ.

"For 26 years as CEO I have ducked the media," Sir John told the Herald yesterday.

"I knew this would be different. I thought, I shouldn't be thinking of myself. I accept the fact it will be more high profile, I don't like it but I am prepared to do it."

Sir John, who retires as chief executive of the ANZ National Bank at the end of the year, has no broadcasting experience, but he does not see that as an impediment to being a successful chairman.

The 60-year-old compared the TVNZ chairmanship, which he will take over from Craig Boyce in April, to his time on the board of New Zealand Steel.

"When the Government put me on that board I wandered around this fantastic steel plant and I looked at it and I thought how do they do all this?

"Then I thought, I don't need to worry about that because I have so many people who know exactly what goes on.

"My job is to make sure the project gets funded and works and that the board is okay and the governance is okay. And it's a bit like that."

He said there were a lot of "very, very capable" people at TVNZ and his job was about adding governance.

He described TVNZ's recent problems - including the resignation of chief executive Ian Fraser after his relationship with the board broke-down - as a "blip" and said he believed the state broadcaster would quickly move on.

"Let's get passed that, move on, and make sure it doesn't happen again in the future. People do want certainty, they do want to move on positively. We have good people there."

Bank workers' union Finsec spokeswoman Karen Skinner said Sir John had been well liked and respected by staff at ANZ National Bank.

"He was a figurehead in many ways and quite a strong leader. That came through both in terms of what he did at the bank and in his role in the wider community through New Zealand Cricket."

Sir John said the big challenges he would face at TVNZ would be steering the broadcaster through technology advancement - particularly the move to digital television - and improving governance.

Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey yesterday said Sir John was a respected business and community leader who would provide the vision to successfully steer TVNZ.

One of Sir John's first jobs will be to appoint a new chief executive to replace Mr Fraser.

"At the end of the day, the new CEO is going to be the most important person. He or she is the person who should be the face of TVNZ."