You contemplate the list of jobs Alastair Carruthers has now and has had and then you contemplate having a little lie-down. He does not do little lie-downs. He hasn't got time. He is 58 but could be 108 in job years. All of his jobs are serious jobs. He is the director of Homeland NZ Enterprises, the restaurant, cooking school and "food embassy" he co-founded with his bloke, the famous chef Peter Gordon. He and Gordon have been together for 14 years, he thinks. He calls Gordon his "boyfriend", or BF, which is much sweeter and much nicer than "partner", isn't it? Let the lie-down commence. He is also chair of the NZ Film Commission, which he says is most definitely not a conflict of interest with his role as chair of the TVNZ board, despite some rumblings.
He recused himself from the NZFC decision to approve $800,000 in public funding for a $3.2 million documentary film on former PM Jacinda Ardern.
He is a trustee of Auckland's Cornwall Park. He is the director of Carruthers Consulting. That is not an exhaustive list.
Perhaps his most serious job, as of July last year, is the TVNZ role.
He has taken jobs that have made him gulp. It is no use asking whether he is currently taking some rather large gulps. TVNZ is consulting staff over the proposed cutting of up to 68 jobs, including some news roles.
I knew, and he knew that I knew, that as chair of TVNZ he wouldn't be able to tell me anything. Just as he was unable to tell me anything beyond what the board has already announced relating to the looming demise of Three's Newshub and the almost certain loss of up to 300 jobs. The implication from
This story is from the March 23-29, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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This story is from the March 23-29, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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