Tony Veitch
Tony Veitch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Sports media personality, broadcaster |
| Years active | 1990s–2017 |
| Known for | Hosting Radio Sport morning program; presenting sports on TVNZ ONE News |
Tony Colin Veitch (born 1973) is a former sports media personality from New Zealand. He was the host of a Radio Sport morning program and presented the 6pm sports segment on Television New Zealand's ONE News. Veitch stepped down from his broadcasting roles after domestic violence allegations emerged in 2008, followed by a conviction in 2009. Despite this, he later resumed prominent positions at Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport until late 2017.
Broadcasting
Prior to July 2008, Veitch was a well-known figure in New Zealand sports broadcasting, anchoring a breakfast show on Radio Sport as well as the sports news during ONE News at 6pm.
Originally from New Zealand, Veitch spent part of his adolescence in Australia, where he launched his broadcasting career with the Nine Network. At age 24, he returned to New Zealand to join TVNZ's Holmes program as a reporter under Paul Holmes.
Veitch regularly acted as an MC for the Cure Kids charity and took part in events such as the celebrity race at the 2002 Queenstown Winter Festival.
In early 2005, TVNZ suspended him for approximately one week after he appeared in an unauthorized horse racing commercial. That same year, he participated in the Auckland City All Stars soccer match aimed at raising funds for tsunami relief.
Shortly before his court appearance in April 2009, Veitch made a brief comeback to broadcasting by guesting on the panel of Deaker on Sport.
Awards
Veitch received the SPARC Adidas Award for Television Reporting in 2002, acknowledging his adaptability in reporting. He was honoured with the NZ Radio Awards' Best Sports Presenter title in 2006 and was also shortlisted for Best News Story Team Coverage. Additionally, he secured the New Zealand TV Guide Best on the Box Award for Best Sport Presenter twice, in 2007 and again in 2009.
Incident
In early 2006, Veitch inflicted serious injuries on his then-partner Kristin Dunne-Powell, resulting in multiple spinal fractures that temporarily confined her to a wheelchair and compelled her to resign from a managerial position at Vodafone New Zealand. To keep the assault private, Veitch paid NZ$100,000, with her injuries initially reported as resulting from an accidental fall. His legal team attempted to suppress the police report; however, some information was subsequently disclosed.
Criminal conviction
After these events became public knowledge, Veitch was charged with six counts of assault and one count of reckless injury occurring between 2002 and 2006. In April 2009, he entered a guilty plea to the reckless injury charge while other charges were dropped. Dunne-Powell’s victim impact statement described severe spinal damage caused by Veitch’s actions. His sentence included nine months’ supervision, 300 hours of community service, a $10,000 fine, and possible participation in a Stop Violence programme if mandated by parole authorities.
Controversy over character testimonials
Following sentencing, questions emerged regarding the authenticity of certain character references submitted on Veitch’s behalf. Allegations claimed that Veitch altered some testimonials or acquired endorsements from notable New Zealand figures under false pretenses—that they were intended for passport or employment applications rather than court proceedings. These references influenced judicial sentencing decisions.
Notably, Dame Susan Devoy and Dave Currie clarified that their testimonials, originally provided for passport applications, had been modified and used improperly in this unrelated legal matter. The Crown opted not to pursue further legal action concerning these modifications.
Departure from media roles
Following the public disclosure of assault accusations, Veitch initially continued his role on Radio Sport, while sports news on ONE News was delivered by Andrew Saville. TVNZ subsequently announced that Veitch would temporarily step aside pending an investigation into the claims.
On 9 July, Veitch addressed the media in a press conference where he acknowledged responsibility, attributing his behavior to work-related stress without offering justifications. He did not appear on any programs that day. The next day, TVNZ's CEO Rick Ellis confirmed that a formal inquiry was in progress, underscoring the gravity of the matter given the high visibility of their presenters.
Veitch tendered his resignation from both TVNZ and Radio Sport on 17 July 2008, explaining that false allegations had made it impossible for him to continue despite his enthusiasm for his roles at TVNZ.
Career resumption and subsequent exit
Veitch returned to host the Radio Sport breakfast show in early 2011 and broadened his responsibilities following Murray Deaker's retirement in 2013.[1]
In January 2015, Veitch married Lisa Bryan on Puketutu Island, though the marriage concluded by late 2016.[2]
In October 2015, Veitch attracted significant backlash for remarks concerning a 2015 Rugby World Cup event where referee Nigel Owens described a contact as "Not a punch just a push of the fist". Both media outlets and the public criticized his comments as inappropriate due to his prior domestic violence conviction. Representatives from New Zealand Women's Refuge and the National Council of Women denounced his Facebook reply as demonstrating "a total lack of self-awareness".[3] Veitch later issued an apology regarding this matter.[4]
In May 2016, Veitch’s employer, NZME, released his apology for past domestic violence in The New Zealand Herald. However, this statement was condemned by New Zealand Women's Refuge and Dunne-Powell's father as "self-serving" and perpetuating victim-blaming.[5]
After a programming restructure at ZB in 2017,[6] Veitch announced in October 2018 that he had departed from sports broadcasting to establish a villa retreat business in Bali.[7]