Media Releases

RNZ Welcomes Public Media Announcement

Released at 11:21 am on 31 March 2021

Radio New Zealand Chairman, Dr. Jim Mather, has welcomed the appointment of a  Governance Group to lead the next phase of work on a potential new public media entity for Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Minister for Broadcasting and Media, Kris Faafoi, has announced that a group of eight media experts will develop a business case and seek input on a Charter for the new entity, before reporting back to Cabinet by the end of the year.   
 
Dr. Mather said RNZ is strongly supporting the development of a policy and business case that will be critical to ensuring the proposed entity has a public media focus, mandate and purpose enshrined in a Charter.   

“We believe, as a board and an executive team, that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a stronger public media system that will benefit all New Zealanders and ensure we stay connected, informed, and part of a cohesive democracy.

“The new entity needs to have a mandate to collaborate, not compete, with other media entities, and great care will need to be taken to ensure a sustainable and adaptable underlying financial model is established.”  

Meanwhile, Dr. Mather said RNZ remained committed to ensuring that it reflects what a progressive, contemporary public media organisation should look like in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2021 and into the future.   

“Our focus at RNZ is on ensuring that we continue to perform strongly so that our people, services, and public media ethos make a significant contribution to the proposed new entity."

ENDS