Questions over head of Maori TV

By LOUISA CLEAVE television reporter

HERALD INQUIRY - The background of a Canadian businessman appointed to run the Government's new Maori Television Service is under scrutiny.

John Davy, appointed chief executive last month, is being asked by the service's board to provide information about his background and business credentials.

The channel has received $3.8 million for transmission and operating costs, and is to be on air by August.

It is not known how much Mr Davy is being paid.

The 51-year-old has been asked by board member Craig Soper to address issues raised by Herald investigations into his background, as it was outlined in a biography issued at the time of his appointment.

It is understood some MPs, TVNZ and CanWest - owner of TV3 and TV4 - have also been checking on Mr Davy.

CanWest is negotiating to sell or lease the frequency of its loss-making TV4 to the new channel.

Mr Davy said last night he would not give details directly to the Herald but said he stood behind his record and was preparing "further references and documented proof".

"At this particular time I have to maintain my ground on this and deal with the board, as instructed.

Mr Soper said he had confidence in Mr Davy until proven otherwise.

"Our human resources recruitment people have checked all his references, both written and verbal," he said.

"From my understanding, everything checks out. It was an onerous process."

The Herald has learned of a separate independent inquiry carried out since the appointment.

It questioned his position as chief executive of a Hong Kong company called Asia Pacific Investment Advisers Ltd, as stated on his biography sheet.

The investigation also found registrars at the University of Denver and Colorado University, also in Denver, said they had no record of a graduate under the name of John Davy.

Mr Davy's biography says he holds an MBA from Denver University and is a certified financial management accountant.

The Maori Television Service rejected a Herald request for a copy of Mr Davy's full CV "because the media love to pick these things to pieces".

Herald inquiries have found Mr Davy is not known to the BC Securities Commission, although his biography says he is a member and adviser to it.

Andrew Poon of the BC Securities Commission said from Vancouver that he could find no reference to any John Davy associated with the commission in the past 15 years.

"I have also had our people check our records until the late 70s and no success either," Mr Poon said.

Last night Mr Davy would not say when he graduated from Denver University.

"I've already said too much."

Mr Davy was chosen over 20 local and international candidates because of his strong financial and management skills, Derek Fox, the chairman of the service board, said at the time of the appointment.

"Having completed formalities required by the Government, the board of the Maori Television Service is now able to announce that it has selected a chief executive officer," said the press announcement on March 14.

Another board member, Wayne Brown, said last night he had never met Mr Davy and had no knowledge of his CV.

Mr Davy came to New Zealand last June to take a role as chief executive and chief financial officer of an emerging company "in the field of virtual internet and consumer e-commerce".

Asked on the day of his appointment the name of the company, Mr Davy said he could not give it because of a confidentiality agreement.

He told the Herald it did not matter as the company had moved to Costa Rica.

Since his appointment last month, Mr Davy has been involved in negotiating transmission arrangements for the Maori channel and signing a deal to lease prime Auckland business space at a rental price of more than $500,000 a year.

Of the $33.7 million earmarked for all Maori television this year, the channel has received $3.8 million for set-up and operations costs.

It will get $6 million a year for the three following years.

The bulk of the Maori television budget goes to the funding agencies NZ On Air and Te Mangai Paho, which pays for such TV One programmes as Te Karere news, and the Sunday morning shows Marae and Waka Huia.

The new channel must compete with the agencies for the bigger money - $29.9 million this financial year, growing to $49 million in 2004-05 - to make or commission programmes.

* Additional reporting by Scott MacLeod