Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee says outdated legislation needs to change before a solution to the country’s media woes is presented.
Lee discussed the mass Newshub and TVNZ cuts with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning.
“Yesterday was a shocking day for media,” Lee said.
Warner Bros Discovery yesterday confirmed Newshub will finish programming and shutter its newsroom by July, with close to 300 jobs to go.
TVNZ also confirmed yesterday that the Fair Go show and the Midday and Tonight news bulletins would end in mid-May - part of up to 68 job losses - although it has come up with an option to retain the Fair Go brand on digital platforms.
Hosking asked Lee if she thought her role was to try to save media jobs.
“I think what I can actually do as minister is provide some settings for media that could improve the situation, to actually modernise the regulations for example.”
She said the broadcasting regulations were out of date and didn’t take into account the impact of the internet on news.
“The Broadcasting Act was designed well before the internet ... 1989.
“The way that New Zealanders consume media has actually changed, they don’t just sit down in front of the television box at 6 o’clock to watch the news. News is 24/7.”
Lee would not be specific about what changes she was hoping to make to the Broadcasting Act.
“But the regulations haven’t actually kept up to date with modern-day technology and I think we need to bring regulations up to speed and fit for purpose,” she said.
Lee referenced the Fair Digital News Bargaining bill as a possible solution, but Hosking pressed her, saying: “You don’t even like that bill.”
“I will be open-minded about the bill,” Lee responded.
“In terms of big tech companies monetising our news, they need to pay a fair price,” she added.
The bill was fronted by the former Labour government.
Hosking asked Lee about the conditions in Australia and Canada, both of which have tried to pass similar laws.
“I think you have to look at it as a whole, it’s not just Meta or Google.”
Lee said she was hoping the select committee would find a solution.
She would not talk about potential government policy options or what might be in the Cabinet paper.
Both Newshub and TVNZ staff have made efforts to save their shows from cancellation.
Other efforts to save Newshub in another stripped-back form have been simultaneously undertaken by the boss of Warner Bros Discovery in New Zealand, Glen Kyne, it is understood.
Negotiations have been undertaken with rival media organisations to produce a basic TV news bulletin using some Newshub journalists, that could be sold back to Three for broadcast.
It is understood Stuff and Sky New Zealand are the leading contenders at this stage to agree to this proposal. NZME, the publisher of the Herald, has said it is not part of any current talks.
On Wednesday, rival broadcaster TVNZ also confirmed its Sunday current affairs show has been cancelled - the last show will be on May 19.
A selection of cartoons from Herald cartoonist Rod Emmerson over the past year