Television New Zealand's new chief executive, Kevin Kenrick, could be the one to take the state-owned enterprise into private ownership, a media commentator says.
The appointment was announced yesterday by outgoing TVNZ chairman Sir John Anderson.
Kenrick, most recently chief executive at House of Travel, was holidaying overseas before his new job begins in mid-May.
TVNZ was widely believed to be among state assets that would be sold off, probably in the next government term should National return to power.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Bill English said "no consideration" had been given to selling TVNZ. The Government had laid out its intentions for the part sales of the four-state owned energy companies and Air NZ.
"There is nothing further than that being considered," the spokesman said, but he could not comment on whether the Government could rule out a possible sale of TVNZ in the future.
Media and advertising commentator Martin Gillman said he believed the choice had come down to either Kenrick or Lynley Marshall, head of commercial at Australia's public service broadcaster ABC, amid pressure from the government shareholder to appoint a successor for Rick Ellis.
Despite Marshall's experience on New Zealand's commercial radio scene and with ABC, Gillman believed Kenrick's commercial nous won out.
The Government has stripped TVNZ of any obligations to meet public broadcasting goals.
TVNZ has been increasing its share of revenue from the advertising market as the government shackles come off.
Kenrick's appointment is not likely to change TVNZ's approach to public service content but could intensify its partnerships with advertisers and other media companies such as Sky Television, with which TVNZ recently announced it was launching the pay-to-view joint venture Igloo.
In a statement, Kenrick said TVNZ was in a great position and he was excited about new opportunities, such as ultrafast broadband.
At House of Travel, Kenrick would have presided over a long-running relationship with TVNZ's Breakfast show which saw advertising being integrated into the show's editorial content.
An eight-year stint at Telecom until 2007 would have prepared him to work in a modern television market that has more in common with telecommunications providers than ever before, Gillman said.
"It indicates to me that the person they want to take over is the person that's going to steer the company through the privatisation of TVNZ rather than the person that's good at government relations."
At Telecom Kenrick moved from sales and marketing manager for Xtra to Telecom's general manager of marketing, then general manager of the mobile business, and finally chief operating officer in its mass market retail business division for more than a year.
One of Kenrick's most pressing jobs at TVNZ will be to appoint a new sales and marketing head
Originally published by Unlimited
Link to original article:
http://unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/leadership/kenrick-takes-helm-at-tvnz
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March 28, 2012, 01:25:07 PM