Dunedin television production company NHNZ is not anticipating any fallout in the wake of the News Corporation scandal unfolding in the United Kingdom.
NHNZ is a subsidiary of Fox International Channels, which is owned by embattled media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Mr Murdoch and his empire have been under scrutiny in the aftermath of revelations of phone hacking at UK newspaper the News of The World (NoW).
However, NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman told the Otago Daily Times from China yesterday the scandal would not reach New Zealand shores.
"The bottom line is there has been absolutely no impact and nor do I expect any," Mr Stedman said.
"We are a very different part of the organisation." The situation would have no effect on NHNZ operations, he said.
Earlier this month, News Corp closed down the NoW after allegations of phone hacking by its journalists, which outraged the British public.
Murdoch and his son, News Corp deputy chief operating officer James Murdoch, appeared before a Commons culture, media and sport select committee meeting in the British Parliament yesterday, where they denied any knowledge of the phone hacking.
NHNZ was formed in 1977 out of the Natural History Unit of Television New Zealand and is one of the world's longest-running production companies.
It makes about 60 hours of television programming a year, which is seen by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
The company has won more than 200 international television awards, including the industry's highest accolade, the Emmy.
