Curran targets public media
Clare Curran says expanding the role of Radio NZ and creating a new Public Media Funding Commission will be among her priorities following her swearing-in as a Cabinet minister.
However, whether that will involve a fully-fledged television channel for RNZ appears up in the air.
Curran will be Minister for Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, as well as Minister for Government Digital Services and having responsibility for open government.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced before the election that the party would provide funding for RNZ to set up a new non-commercial television service if elected.
The radio broadcaster would morph into a multimedia ‘‘public digital media service’’, which Labour dubbed ‘‘RNZ Plus’’.
Curran had previously said the plan would likely see RNZ get the bulk of an additional $38 million a year that Labour would allocate to public broadcasting.
The remainder would be apportioned via NZ On Air with the split determined by the new commission, which Ardern said would be free from political influence.
The policy was not revised by Labour’s coalition agreement with NZ First, meaning Labour’s policy stands.
Curran said she would not make any commitment about the nature of the television service RNZ would provide until she had the opportunity to have full discussions with RNZ and officials.
‘‘I have got to establish relationships, get a feel for where things are at now, and what is achievable in the short, medium and longer term.’’
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson said RNZ was doing ‘‘television-like things’’.
‘‘We see that growing and improving,’’ Thompson said.
‘‘Whether that translates into a fullyfledged, ‘old-style’ linear channel, I am unclear and I probably think it is not necessary given where the market and technology is going.
‘‘Even before taking the new policy into account, we were moving down a path of having more audio-visual delivery of content live and on-demand,’’ he said.
‘‘This policy would probably accelerate the development of our multimedia plans, but the definitions of what a television channel is and what audiences want and need is changing really quickly and we would have to take that into account.’’