TV man coy over documents

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 4

TV man coy over documents

PA Wellington The chief executive of TV3, Mr Trevor Egerton, might have handed the new channel’s strategy to rival TVNZ on a plate. When Mr Egerton visited TVNZ’s Auckland headquarters to sign a transmission contract earlier this month, he inadvertently left documents in the office of the TVNZ planning and public affairs director, Mr Graeme Wilson. Mr Wilson was unavailable for comment yesterday, but Mr Egerton denied there was anything significant or confidential in the documents.

“Don’t quote me, I have no comment to make,” Mr Egerton said.

Asked if the documents contained anything about TV3’s corporate or competitive strategy, Mr Egerton said: “You run it (the report) at your behest. There wasn’t anything to do with the corporate structure of the company.”

Asked specifically if the documents contained information relating to TV3’s competitive strategy, Mr Egerton said: “I have no comment.” It is believed that when Mr Egerton discovered

his mistake, he sent an assistant to recover the documents, and was assured by Mr Wilson they had not been photocopied.

But TVNZ executives are thought to have been able to benefit from the information as TV3 prepares to go to air in November.

However, industry sources indicate that while TVNZ and TV3 will continue to compete for overseas programmes, the broadcasters will increasingly co-operate in other areas.

The motivation for this “duopoly” strategy will be to prevent other companies from setting up further national broadcast channels and combat an expected invasion of satellite channels (such as Rupert Murdoch’s Sky channel, reported to be making a heavy impact on European broadcasters).

TV3 relies on TVNZ subsidiaries for transmission and production facilities. Programme deals with TVNZ’s Avalon Television Centre are likely to be announced.

The “Evening Post” said rumours were rife that TV3 could eventually set up an additional channel.