TV stars good on plastic

Wendy Petrie. Photo / Herald on Sunday

TVNZ boss Rick Ellis spent more on the company plastic than 20 star presenters combined over the past two years.

An Official Information Act request found that presenters - including big names like Mark Sainsbury and Wendy Petrie - spent $133,645 on their company credit cards in 2008/09 - $7000 less than the chief executive.

A TVNZ spokesman said that presenters used the credit cards on overseas assignments and while covering major news events in New Zealand.

He said: "Major assignments have included the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, All Blacks international tours ... and the 2008 general election."

Presenters Greg Boyed, Jim Hickey, Bernadine Oliver-Kerby and Simon Dallow were others to hold company credit cards.

The average amount spent per presenter amounted to $3341. Ellis splashed $32,000 on entertainment alone between June 2008 and June 2010.

Some high-profile stars - such as Alison Mau, Paul Henry and Mike Hosking - do not hold company credit cards, the spokesman said.

TVNZ said this week it would reduce the number of company credit cards held by staff from about 470 to fewer than 100.

They said the cards had led to "unfair" publicity.

The Herald on Sunday asked for individual figures, but TVNZ preferred to give the total presenter spending.