Radio NZ ends live internet broadcasts

By PETER GRIFFIN

Radio New Zealand is to stop its live broadcasts over the internet, claiming the site is too passive and could breach contracts with international contributors such as the BBC.

Since 1997 subscribers have paid $250 a year for live broadcasts from the Radio NZ website but the service will stop at the end of the month.

The service was set up in 1997 for subscribers paying $250 a year.

A spokesman for Radio New Zealand, John Barr, said streaming audio over the website did not add significant value to the radio service and did not take advantage of the internet's "interactive" potential.

He said Radio New Zealand could face copyright infringement and royalty issues if the service continued. Only material that Radio New Zealand owned would be transmitted via the internet in future.

But Michael Sutton, the site's webmaster, said he had discussed the copyright arrangements with the BBC and believed the real reason for the closure was Radio New Zealand wanting control of their website.

"The BBC said there might be a problem with some old content, but for all the news and current affairs and stuff you'd generally regard as news content they're fine about."

He had offered to continue providing the service but Radio New Zealand was not interested.

Radio New Zealand, meanwhile, is involved in a pilot scheme with Telecom Xtra allowing access to archived programming.

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