Ralston sings praises of staff member he sacked

TVNZ news head Bill Ralston has praised the skills of a One News producer he abruptly dismissed in a newsroom bust-up in August.

In an embarrassing about-turn, Ralston said he deeply regretted any distress caused by the termination of Melanie Jones' employment.

"To set the record straight about Melanie's abilities, I must stress I regard her as a highly professional journalist, editor and producer, and I genuinely admire Melanie's demanding standards and news judgment," Ralston said in a joint statement issued by TVNZ and Melanie Jones.

The statement, believed to be agreed on as part of the settlement reached in mediation, said Jones was "highly dedicated to her craft and I am sure she will make a very positive contribution to any news organisation she may join in the future".

The statement said the parties had settled an employment dispute after Jones took TVNZ to mediation over her abrupt dismissal on August 19.


The reason for the dismissal remains unclear. Speculation at the time linked it to the fall in One News ratings or to her management style.

At the time Jones said the dismissal was brutal and unexpected. She told a newspaper Ralston had never raised performance issues with her, and he had praised her for her work during the election campaign.

The settlement is also believed to include a compensation payment.

Neither Ralston nor Jones returned calls last night. TVNZ's public affairs department would make no further comment.