TVNZ apologises to Fraser

Television New Zealand's board has apologised to former chief executive Ian Fraser and says it has settled the personal grievance case he brought against the broadcaster.

With Parliament's privileges committee due to report tomorrow on its investigation of the issue, the board said in a statement it had withdrawn its assertion that Mr Fraser's comments in December last year amounted to "serious misconduct and were quite inappropriate".

Mr Fraser made those comments to the finance and expenditure committee.

He accused the board of holding "secret bitch sessions" about management and insinuated that board members leaked information intended to destabilise him and news head Bill Ralston.

He was subsequently stripped of his remaining duties and faced disciplinary action.

The privileges committee called in the board, because punishing anyone for the evidence they give to any select committee is a breach of Parliament's rules.

The board's brief statement today said: "Ian Fraser and TVNZ have settled the personal grievance issues. The TVNZ Board has withdrawn its assertion that Mr Fraser's comments to the finance and expenditure select committee on 14 December 2005 amounted to 'serious misconduct and were quite inappropriate'.

"TVNZ apologises to Mr Fraser for any distress that has been caused."

- NZPA