Media Insider: TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers, chief executive Jodi O’Donnell and RNZ chair Jim Mather, chief executive Paul Thompson face Parliament select committee

Former Fair Go host Pippa Wetzell and Former Sunday host Miriama Kamo.

The bosses of our state broadcasters face heat from MPs over axed shows, Māori content, as TVNZ acknowledges more cuts to come. TVNZ chief executive tells reporters that social media posts from recent LA trip were “very inappropriate”.

TVNZ and RNZ bosses have today faced pointed questions from a Parliamentary select committee over the performance of their companies – with the TVNZ chair saying outright that “you won’t have a television station” without cuts to staff and shows.

Former Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson fired a broadside at TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers – the man he appointed to the role last year – saying it had been a “huge disappointment” that the TVNZ board didn’t step up to support high-quality news programmes such as Sunday and Fair Go when they were earmarked for closure.

Those shows have now been axed, along with dozens of jobs, as TVNZ faces a massive drop in advertising revenue. The state-owned enterprise has warned further cuts are inevitable, as it transforms into a digital-first business while also adjusting to tough economic conditions and a rapidly changing business model.

Jackson, a member of the social services and community select committee, said there was “general disappointment” that shows like Fair Go had not been supported and that TVNZ had also rejected the opportunity to collaborate on a news service with Newshub before its closure earlier this month, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Carruthers told the committee there was nothing about the Sunday and Fair Go cuts that felt good.

“This is probably the most wicked illustration of the challenges we have financially,” Carruthers said. “We simply can’t afford to do some of the things that we have done in the past because of the way they are made.

“We can afford to do a lot of things in long-format content journalism in the digital space and you’re starting to see some new products in that environment emerge.

TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers.

“There was nothing about that that felt good – nothing,” he said, referring to the cuts.

“But we have so many challenges in front of us financially. If we do not start to manage our content production in a more efficient and digital way, you won’t have a television station in years to come. There are numerous initiatives under way in the digital space.”

TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell said TVNZ’s mandate was to be a commercial broadcaster. “That’s very much the lens we needed to make sure we were living within our means.”

While Fair Go and Sunday were strong on broadcast television, “they weren’t in our digital platforms or in our digital future”.

“Long-form journalism is incredibly expensive – we do have a very strong commitment to news and current affairs and we’re still significantly investing in that space. Please be rest assured of that.”

TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell. Photo / Dean Purcell

Māori content on RNZ

RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson also came under scrutiny at the committee hearing, from Jackson.

The former Broadcasting Minister described Māori programming on RNZ as minimal – Thompson countered that with examples of Nathan Rarere on Morning Report and, shortly, Mihingarangi Forbes on Saturday Morning.

He acknowledged more work needed to be done to retain Māori journalists at RNZ.

His exchange with Jackson became pointed at one stage.

Jackson: “Are the Māori programmes just on the weekend? Is that what you’re saying?”

Thompson: “What do you mean just on the weekend? Weekends are really important for us.”

Jackson: “I would have thought Monday to Friday was more important. And I would have thought primetime was important.”

Thompson: “I’m aware of your position. We are continuing to develop our rautaki Māori [strategy]. You can hear reo on all of our programmes. We are covering those stories, you just need to listen to...

Jackson: “No, I listen all the time, Paul. It’s actually not good enough. The reality is you’ve got no Māori in primetime, still, after all these years.”

RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Thompson spoke of rich Māori perspectives coming through some of RNZ’s other channels, including podcasts and digital text stories.

“Can we do more? Absolutely. And thank you for your challenge.”

Social posts ‘very inappropriate’

TVNZ is set to make further cutbacks this year.

Its latest statement of performance expectations reveals the state broadcaster now has 617.2 fulltime equivalent employees – down from around 700 a year ago. That number is likely to continue to drop.

Questioned by reporters after the select committee hearing today, O’Donnell said there was “no definitive range” on what the organisation would look like in the future.

Asked if she was planning to cut any more shows, she said: “I don’t have any plan to share today.”

She said TVNZ had had a “significant” increase in its 6pm news audience since the closure of Newshub earlier this month. Stuff has been producing the rival 6pm bulletin on Three.

She said it was too soon to say whether there would be tangible financial returns from that growth, while the economy remained suppressed. TVNZ was hoping for a return to earnings growth in early 2025.

Social media screengrabs of TVNZ leaders Nevak Rogers, Jodi O'Donnell and Josh Wolfe's get-togethers in Los Angeles.

O’Donnell also addressed her recent business trip to Los Angeles with two other TVNZ leaders, at a time when the organisation was making cutbacks and facing legal action over the way it had handled the restructuring process.

She said social media posts from that trip – showing the three leaders enjoying social occasions at the likes of the famous Chateau Marmont hotel – were “very inappropriate”.

“I do regret the social posts and I’ve gone out and said that.”

As Media Insider has previously reported, TVNZ and RNZ are in discussions about RNZ moving into TVNZ’s Victoria St headquarters in central Auckland.

RNZ would continue to operate separately under any move, although the Government does see the opportunity for savings in terms of some administrative overheads.

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.