Governor-General accepts apology from TVNZ bosses

Anand Satyanand. Photo by NZPA
Anand Satyanand. Photo by NZPA
TVNZ's bosses have apologised in person to the Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand over "racist" comments made about him by former Breakfast show host Paul Henry.

Government House confirmed that Sir Anand and his wife had met TVNZ chairman Sir John Anderson and chief executive Rick Ellis in Auckland today.

"At that meeting, the Governor-General accepted the written apology tendered by Sir John and Mr Ellis for the comments made on TVNZ's Breakfast programme on October 4," Government House public affairs manager Anthony Paltridge said.

Sir Anand very graciously accepted the apology and there would be no further comment from either side, TVNZ corporate affairs spokeswoman Megan Richards said.

Henry resigned from TVNZ last week after becoming the subject of several hundred complaints to the broadcaster over the slur he made about Sir Anand.

Henry had asked Prime Minister John Key on the Breakfast programme whether Sir Anand, whose five-year term ends next year, was a New Zealander.

"Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time?"

Sir Anand was born in New Zealand.

Henry had also earlier mocked the name of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.


 

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