Curran reassuring on RNZ funding
WELLINGTON: Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran says the fallout from her meeting with Carol Hirschfeld is unlikely to affect funding allocated to RNZ and has not damaged the relationship with the state broadcaster.
RNZ is set to receive $38 million in the next Budget round and the minister has said the aftermath of her controversial meeting with Ms Hirschfeld, the former RNZ head of news, would likely have no bearing on that funding allocation.
Ms Currant old Q+ A although she could not confirm RNZ would receive the funding there was still a plan in place ‘‘to turn RNZ into a more evolved multimedia entity’’.
‘‘That plan has not changed [but] the quantum of the investment in this Budget cycle is still unclear because we’re still in that process.’’
Labour campaigned on forming RNZ+, a freetoair noncommercial television service, and Ms Curran said this was still the Government’s intention.
‘‘The focus will be on moving the platforms [to] multimedia in a gradual way depending on how much money is available to do it. It’s going to take some time.’’
Ms Curran has denied that the unscheduled meeting with Ms Hirschfeld at a Wellington cafe last week was an effort to try to influence the state broadcaster.
The minister has said the meeting did involve discussions that included potential funding for RNZ and ‘‘policy ideas that were already on record’’.
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson and chairman Richard Griffen have both stated they did not wish RNZ to have a freetoair noncommercial television service but Ms Curran insists ‘‘there is no division between RNZ and the Government on this issue’’.
She says the incident has not damaged trust between RNZ and the Government.
‘‘It’s a huge shame that Carol Hirschfeld has left her job as a result of this but the issues in New Zealand media are too important — but the issues aren’t just about RNZ, there is the whole of the media landscape.’’ — NZN