Switching off Radio New Zealand (RNZ) between midnight and 6am could be part of a radical new plan to cut costs. On Wednesday ONE News revealed some of the proposals for the station and as more details emerge, the Broadcasting Minister is facing accusations of interference. RNZ bosses have been questioned by MPs about plans to cut costs and board chairperson Christine Grice says the board has a full range of options before it.
Another proposal is to scrap FM transmission for much of the country and to bring in sponsored programmes. “All organisations have to cut their cloth and our aim is to make sure the cloth is cut so as to preserve the dna of Radio New Zealand,” says Ms Grice.
Opposition parties claim RNZ is the victim of bullying by minister Jonathan Coleman. “I think the minister has a conscious policy of trying to starve Radio New Zealand so that it will ultimately become unviable as a public service broadcaster,” says Green Party spokeswoman Sue Kedgley.
Now it appears to be a question of who blinks first - whether RNZ bosses make major cuts or face the chop themselves.
(Source: ONE News/TVNZ)
Andy Sennitt comments: Any cuts will have implications for Radio New Zealand International, which relays portions of the domestic service on shortwave.
on Feb 18th, 2010 at 12:13
The lack of funding to Radio New Zealand is very noticable; having just spent a month there, it’s not a patch on ABC Radio in Australia. It’s quite dull to listen to.
Unfortunately, the commercial stations there are worse; they really do need a good, well-funded public broadcaster to add something interesting to the airwaves.