Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Media

The questions we asked

• Sale of Assets
  Do you intend to consider the full or partial sale or privatisation of any state-owned broadcaster or their assets?
• Funding Form
  How do your propose to fund public broadcasting on radio and television?
• Funding Amount
  Currently the government spends $220 million on broadcasting each year. Do you intend to fund broadcasting at this level? If not, which media or broadcasters would receive more or less funding?
• TVNZ Dividend
  TVNZ currently pays a dividend to the state, would you continue to require this?
• Charters
  TVNZ no longer operates according to a public service charter, Radio New Zealand continues to do so. Do you support the use of charters?
• Competition Issues
  Do you plan to review competition issues in the broadcasting market?
• Online Regulation
  Do you plan to review the need for regulation of the market of broadcasting content online?
• Regulation Bodies
  Do you plan to review the regulation of the media - and the functions of watchdog bodies such as the Broadcasting Standards Authority, The Press Council and the Advertising Standards Authority?

Responses from parties in parliament

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

No. Labour believes a strong, independent public media is essential to an informed democracy. State-owned assets, including our state-owned broadcasters, will remain in public ownership under a Labour Government.

Green

Absolutely not.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

No.

Mana

No. MANA absolutely rejects any proposal to partially or fully privatise any state owned broadcaster or their assets.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

TVNZ and Radio New Zealand are currently being undermined through commercialisation and the threat of privatisation. Labour will make sure that these entities are adequately funded, ensuring a sustainable future.

Green

Broadcasting would continue to be funded through direct taxation.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

Through general tax revenue. It is a public service.

Mana

From government revenue, as currently happens.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

Our state broadcasters have been under immense financial pressure, with Radio New Zealand facing a funding freeze, and with TVNZ forced to scrap TVNZ7 because it received insufficient backing from the government. Labour is committed to a robust, modern public media.

Green

We would like to see an expansion of funding for public service broadcasting. We are totally opposed to the current freeze on funding levels for Radio New Zealand which in our view is effectively a cut to Radio New Zealand’s funding. We want to end the funding freeze and increase Radio New Zealand’s funding to the levels recommended by the KPMG review.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

Yes

Mana

MANA has not yet completed policy work in this area.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

Labour opposed the removal of the TVNZ charter, but we do not believe it is possible to recreate TVNZ as a public state broadcaster because it is thoroughly committed to a culture of commercial broadcasting.

Green

If TVNZ was returned to a public service broadcaster, we would waive the dividend and reinvest it in New Zealand programming.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

Yes.

Mana

MANA has not yet completed policy work in this area.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

The charter required TVNZ to feature programming across all genres that informed, entertained, and educated New Zealanders. Now, TVNZ has licence to become an aggressive commercial broadcaster. Labour opposed the abolition of the TVNZ charter, and while it is too late to save TVNZ’s public broadcasting function, we are committed to protecting Radio New Zealand’s public service charter.

Green

We support the use of broadcasting charters, as they encapsulate the values and objectives of a public service broadcaster. Charters can become little more than vague statements of intent, however, which is why we have always called for measurable performance measures to be included in broadcasting charters.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

No.

Mana

Yes, MANA supports public service charters. There should be one in place for TVNZ as well as for Radio New Zealand.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

Yes. Labour believes a single network regulator for telecommunications and broadcasting has merit. Labour will prepare a proposal for public consultation within six months of taking office setting out the path towards a single powerful regulator for telecommunications and broadcasting. It is our expectation that the converged regulator will be located within the Commerce Commission and would obtain any additional resources required by means of an industry levy system. The legislation would be modelled on the way the Telecommunications Act currently works. Labour would have particular regard to addressing the impact of monopolies in both the telecommunications and broadcasting marketplaces.

Green

We would like to see a review of competition issues in the broadcasting market as part of a wider review of the regulation of the media in New Zealand. We are concerned that in the absence of any cross media ownership regulations, or any restrictions on the number of radio and television channels, newspapers, magazines and other media that any one company can control, there is nothing to stop someone like Rupert Murdoch from acquiring ownership of large segments of our media, and developing a virtual monopoly over several different broadcasting media. We believe a diverse and independent media is critical for a healthy democracy and we are concerned at the growing convergence of the media in New Zealand, and the implications this has for our democracy. As well as having one of the most deregulated media environments in the world, our competition laws are weak, and in need of strengthening, and for all of these reasons we support a review of competition issues in the broadcasting market.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

No.

Mana

MANA has not yet completed policy work in this area.

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

Yes. As stated above, Labour will investigate the possibility of a converged regulator for telecommunications and broadcasting, and this will include an investigation into the regulation of broadcasting content online.

Green

This could be included in a wider review of the regulation of the media in New Zealand.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

No, unless those changes are considered necessary.

Mana

MANA has not yet completed policy work in this area.

 

National

Declined to answer this question.

Labour

Yes. As part of our examination of the regulation of the telecommunications and broadcasting industries, Labour will examine the functions of the three standards bodies. We will consider the possibility of merging these entities.

Green

Yes, we strongly favour a review of the regulation of the New Zealand media, including watchdog bodies such as the Press Council. We believe there needs to be a stronger and far more independent media monitor than exists at present. We consider the Advertising Standards Authority to be weak and ineffective.

ACT

Has not yet answered this question.

Maori

Has not yet answered this question.

United Future

No.

Mana

MANA has not yet completed policy work in this area.