Media funding fix sought

The Government has proposed a new approach to funding stateowned media organisations as it frets about the financial health of the fourth estate.

A Cabinet paper envisages a new Public Media Funding Commission would report directly to Parliament and would attempt to ‘‘depoliticise’’ questions such as the level of funding that should go to Radio New Zealand.

Labour attacked the former government when in Opposition for freezing funding to the state broadcaster for eight years in the run-up to the 2017 Budget. Radio New Zealand received a $2.8 million annual boost last year.

One of the commission’s jobs would be to recommend how much of a planned $38m annual boost for public broadcasting should go to the radio network, and how much should be allocated as additional funding for NZ On Air.

Every three years, the commission would make a recommendation to Parliament on how much money Radio New Zealand needed to be ‘‘resilient and sustainable’’. It would also report to Parliament on both entities.

The Government will spend $1.4m over 18 months on an advisory group to pave the way for the commission.

Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran said the group would be chaired by accountant and director Michael Stiassny. It would provide advice on the commission’s ‘‘functions, role and scope’’.