Former Labour Party broadcasting spokeswoman Clare Curran. Photo / Supplied
Former Labour Party broadcasting spokeswoman Clare Curran. Photo / Supplied
EDITORIAL:
As an exponent of the soundbite, the Prime Minister would be well aware her post-Cabinet comments are likely to be edited down a brief line that best summarises her weekly update to the media.
So, when Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that Cabinet members will be looking at whereto trim back over the summer to ensure the economy is a top priority, the words would inevitably be under scrutiny.
“Going into 2023,” she said, “we do need to make sure we are totally focused, [that] we prioritise, and that we will be making sure that where we need to pare back, we will.”
National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis pounced on the “pare back” reference as an indication of the Government pulling the plug on the merger of state media entities Radio New Zealand and TVNZ.
The merger has long been something of an albatross around the neck for Labour. It was initiated by then Opposition MP Clare Curran, who dreamed of a vastly upsized RNZ, dubbed RNZ+, with a foot in the TV camp. However, this morphed in the hands of a working group set up by Curran’s broadcasting portfolio successor Kris Faafoi.
It has been carried by three broadcasting ministers who have each struggled with questions over the need for it, the latest being Willie Jackson.
Illustration / Rod Emmerson
Faafoi told the New Zealand Broadcasting School, via Zoom, in March this year that “New Zealand’s public media is trusted and strong” and “we need to ensure Kiwis can continue to rely on” it. By inference, as pointed out by National, we already have a trusted and strong public media, so why spend tens of millions to restructure it?
The Government has budgeted $40m so far, with at least a quarter going on contractors, RNZ reports. The bill for 17 of the largest contracts for individual jobs is almost $4m, on top of the $5m for the largest single contractor working on the transition, Deloitte.
Faafoi’s answer to this was it will ensure that New Zealanders continue to have access to reliable, trusted, independent information. We can only assume the Government desires to boast something similar to Australia’s ABC, the UK’s BBC, Canada’s CBC, or Ireland’s RTE.
The trouble is, the world has turned and the media landscape has changed since Clare Curran was MP for Dunedin South. Post-Covid times have presented these media outlets with something of a revival. This month, RNZ reported radio audience has increased compared with the previous survey and TVNZ OnDemand continues to set new record benchmarks. Improved fortunes for both networks, alongside the growth of other media outlets, during Covid-19 should give the Government pause.
Indeed, the current economic headwinds give the Government valid cause to “pare back” on this drawn-out project. Ditching the scheme has a cost but might be small change compared with the potential blank cheque the Government has been redrafting for the past five years.
Ultimately, three broadcasting ministers have failed to do what these two media outlets do. Clearly communicate and bring the audience along for the ride.
