Rick Ellis, Chief Executive of State broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ) announced his resignation today. Company chairman Sir John Anderson said Ellis would be joining Australia’s Telstra from January next year. Ellis will be in charge of a new Telstra division called Telstra Digital Media, overseeing the telco’s Sensis, Bigpond, Trading Post and IPTV businesses, and Telstra’s partnership with Foxtel. Anderson acknowledged Ellis’s 10 years of service as TVNZ chief executive, during which time TV One and TV2 “consolidated their leadership position in the New Zealand free-to-air television market, and the company diversified into digital media areas including on-line, pay TV channels, and new digital free-to-air channels.” Telstra’s chief executive David Thodey said the company plans to spend A$100 million over the next four years to upgrade its media infrastructure.