Curran still keen on RNZ TV channel
WELLINGTON: Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran is still wedded to the idea of a public television channel run by Radio New Zealand, despite independent advice the wider media sector does not support it and noncommittal from RNZ.
Ms Curran announced yesterday the allocation of $15 million in this year’s Budget to implement the recommendations of a ministerial advisory group on public media.
RNZ will receive $4.5 million to further develop its multimedia platforms and New Zealand on Air will receive $4 million to boost content for underserved audiences, such as
Maori and Pacific peoples, children and regional New Zealand.
The two Crown agencies also share $6 million for a joint venture in which RNZ will commission content for its platforms from the commercial production sector.
Another $500,000 will go towards researching what level of funding is needed for an effective public media sector, a request that came from Finance Minister Grant Robertson.
In its report to Ms Curran, the ministerial advisory group said there was strong support across the sector for more funding for RNZ’s online and radio content, as well as the current Freeview channel content.
However, ‘‘it became apparent in our conversations with sector participants and stakeholders that a new fullservice RNZ+ public television channel is not supported,’’ group chairman Michael Stiassny wrote.
But a television channel is still in the mix.
Ms Curran said the plan had not changed and yesterday’s announcement was the begin ning of the process.
‘‘It can’t all be done in one Budget and there’s more work to be done. My vision remains the same.’’
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson, who has previously said RNZ was not looking to turn RNZ+ into a fullblown TV channel, reiterated that position yesterday.
‘‘At present the concept of any kind of formal linear station being the centre of RNZ+ is not on our horizon. It’s not where our thinking is,’’ he said.
The $15 million funding in this year’s Budget is nowhere near the $38 million a year promised by Labour before last year’s election.
Mr Curran said her instructions from Mr Robertson had been to use some of the $15 million to find out what level of funding was needed for public media.
Asked whether the Government was still working to a figure of $38 million a year for four years for public media funding, Ms Curran said that without the work, it was difficult to say yes or no.
‘‘It could be more, it could be less.’’
National broadcasting spokeswoman Melissa Lee said yesterday’s announcement had simply produced more bureaucracy for those at RNZ and across the broadcasting sector.
‘‘The plan Ms Curran and the Labour Government campaigned on is in complete tatters.
‘‘Ms Curran’s own advisory group has told her there’s no appetite for RNZ+, yet she’s still pushing the line that RNZ+ will be a fully digital multimedia platform,’’ she said.
‘‘It seems that the minister’s dream will meet a slow and painful end with little benefit for the broadcasters or taxpayers,’’ Ms Lee said. — NZME