Stanhope Andrews
An ideas man who campaigned for a Government film body, Stanhope Andrews would become the National Film Unit's first manager. Andrews commanded the Unit for a decade. Along the way he oversaw dramatic expansion, set up regular newsreel Weekly Review, and opened the door to filmmakers of both genders.
Cathy Campbell
Cathy Campbell became the first woman in New Zealand to anchor a sports programme, after joining TV One’s Sportsnight in 1989. The longtime news and sports reporter moved into newsreading, and later ran PR and events company Cathy Campbell Communications. She died on 23 February 2012, after a two-year battle with a brain tumour.
Rob Harley
Journalist, director and producer Rob Harley has won many awards in a career spanning four decades. He was a high profile investigative reporter on TVNZ’s flagship news and current affairs shows Frontline, Assignment and Sunday from 1990 to 2003, before moving into independent programme making.
Sam Blackley
A Diploma in Broadcast Communication led Sam Blackley to a gig with high profile company Communicado, then a run producing youth shows Space, Squeeze, and Coast. Her other career highlights include three years as Channel Manager at Sky TV’s Documentary Channel, and five seasons producing community celebration series Neighbourhood.
Rodney Bryant
Rodney Bryant was one of the stars of the heyday of regional television news. In the early 70s he became a Canterbury institution fronting The South Tonight with Bryan Allpress, and returned to host The Mainland Touch in the early 80s. He moved on to TV talkback, then children’s current affairs with The Video Dispatch, before leaving TV for a twenty year run in communications for the Dunedin City Council.
Diane Musgrave
Musgrave is a producer, director and researcher with over 50 credits to her name, over 25 years in television. Musgrave’s research subjects have ranged from Gallipoli to Ivan Curry to the America’s Cup, and she has produced high profile current affairs reports on Māori leadership, the Peter Ellis creche case and beaten baby James Whakaruru. She is now senior lecturer in Communication Studies at AUT.
Ken Catran
Ken Catran made his name in the 80s as the writer of a raft of kidult TV successes, including Children of the Dog Star and an adaptation of Maurice Gee’s Under the Mountain. In 1986 he won a GOFTA award for his work on legal drama Hanlon. These days Catran is better known as a prolific and award-winning novelist.
Simon Walker
South African-born Simon Walker is best known down under for one 14-minute TV interview: his controversial 1976 face-off with Robert Muldoon. Walker did further NZ assignments as a TV reporter, and headed communications for Labour’s 1984 sweep to power. These days Walker is better known in the UK, after holding varied PR, communications and advisory roles for John Major, British Airways, Reuters, and the Queen.
Rod Cornelius
In the course of a 32-year career, Rod Cornelius experienced seismic changes within New Zealand’s television industry firsthand. From his first job with the NZ Broadcasting Corporation through the turbulent remakings of state television in the late 80s and 90s, Cornelius held several key management roles — including TVNZ Controller of Programming and Managing Director of Avalon Studios.
Bill McCarthy
Bill McCarthy’s wide-ranging television career spans 50 years and counting. McCarthy won a keen following when he anchored coverage of the 1974 Commonwealth Games. After five years presenting Television One’s network news (alternating with Dougal Stevenson), he became a producer and director, and did time as TVNZ’s head of sports. McCarthy set up his own company in 1990, and continues to make shows for cable television.