TVNZ cuts 'biggest changes' in 20 years

TVNZ has announced sweeping changes to its news and current affairs operations.

Around 31 roles are being disestablished in the $1.5 million restructuring, TVNZ news boss Anthony Flannery announced via a press release today.

Around 14 new roles will be established, so the broadcaster estimates around 15 staff members will lose their jobs - including two current affairs reporters and some producers, editors, camera operators and support staff.

Calling it "the biggest changes to New Zealand television news and current affairs operations in about 20 years", Mr Flannery said news and current affairs would be split into four new divisions - news-gathering, daily programmes, current affairs and operations.

Resources will be centralised, said Mr Flannery, so "instead of a
number of different programmes all chasing after the same story and
duplicating resources, a reporter and a producer will see a story through the whole day across a number of programmes and platforms.

"The story ideas and follow-ups will be driven from and gathered back to a central hub. They will then be re-purposed for the particular programme or platform they are to go on."

Mr Flannery said the staff reductions and changes in work practices once bedded-in would result in annual savings of between $3 million and $3.3 million.

"The current operation was built at a time when ONE News @ 6 was the way most New Zealanders received their news. Digitisation has changed all that and people increasingly get their news anywhere and any time."

- NZ Herald staff