Radio New Zealand and You: It’s Time to Have Your Say

Some readers of The BFD might be wondering why I’ve chosen to raise Radio New Zealand as today’s topic of discussion, considering it probably has a less than receptive audience among some regular commentators. However, after five years since RNZ’s structure was last revised, it’s once again time for Parliament to review the Radio New Zealand Charter and the principles RNZ operates under.

For some background, in early April, after significant toying and timewasting by the Government (outlined commendably by Tom Frewen’s running commentary on Scoop), it was finally announced Parliament would be able to do its statutory job and review the Radio New Zealand Charter as prescribed in law under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. I won’t lie, it was a hard-fought fight to get this review underway, as the Government clearly did not want Parliament (i.e. you the people of New Zealand) meddling in its plans for the future of public media despite there being a legislative duty for the House of Representatives to do so. It took several more weeks and much committee discussion but on 25 June I was able to successfully confirm public submissions would take place, and they are now open for your views until August 13.

I strongly encourage you to make a submission so that the Committee can hear what all voices think about the RNZ Charter and New Zealand’s primary non-commercial broadcaster.

Here’s the Charter in full for your reference so you know what we are working with:

Charter and Principles of Radio New Zealand

Purpose

(1) As an independent public service broadcaster, the public radio company’s purpose is to serve the public interest.

(2) Freedom of thought and expression are foundations of democratic society and the public radio company as a public service broadcaster plays an essential role in exercising these freedoms.

(3) The public radio company fosters a sense of national identity by contributing to tolerance and understanding, reflecting and promoting ethnic, cultural, and artistic diversity and expression.

(4) The public radio company provides reliable, independent, and freely accessible news and information.

Delivery

(5) In achieving its purpose, the public radio company must endeavour to provide services of the highest quality, which—

• (a) are predominantly and distinctively of New Zealand:
• (b) inform, entertain, and enlighten the people of New Zealand:
• (c) are challenging, innovative, and engaging:
• (d) foster critical thought, and informed and wide-ranging debate:
• (e) stimulate, support, and reflect the diversity of cultural expression, including drama, comedy, literature, and the performing arts:
• (f) stimulate, support, and reflect a wide range of music, including New Zealand composition and performance:
• (g) reflect New Zealand’s cultural identity, including Maori language and culture:
• (h) provide awareness of the world and of New Zealand’s place in it:
• (i) provide comprehensive, independent, accurate, impartial, and balanced regional, national, and international news and current affairs:
• (j) provide programmes which balance special interest with those of wide appeal, recognising the interests of all age groups:
• (k) contribute towards intellectual and spiritual development:
• (l) include an international service to the South Pacific in both English and Pacific languages:
• (m) take account of services provided by other broadcasters:
• (n) take advantage of the most effective means of delivery:
• (o) preserve and archive broadcasting material of historical interest.

8A Principles of operation

(1) The public radio company must, in fulfilling its Charter, exhibit a sense of social responsibility by—

• (a) having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates; and
• (b) endeavouring to accommodate or encourage those interests when able to do so.

(2) The public radio company must, in fulfilling its Charter, ensure that it is not influenced by the commercial interests of other parties.

(3) The public radio company must, in fulfilling its Charter, ensure that it operates in a financially responsible manner and, for this purpose, that it—

• (a) prudently manages its assets and liabilities; and
• (b) endeavours to ensure—
• (i) its long-term financial viability; and
• (ii) that it acts as a successful going concern.

8B Commercial-free broadcasting

(1) The public radio company must, in fulfilling its Charter, provide its services in a commercial-free manner.

(2) Subsection (1) is subject to subsection (3).

(3) The public radio company may provide 1 or more of the services specified in subsection (4), if the provision of the service or services—

• (a) is consistent with its role as a public broadcaster; and
• (b) does not impact adversely on the provision of its services under its Charter; and
• (c) is a fair and appropriate use of public funds.

(4) Subsection (3) applies to the following:

• (a) providing media services to countries outside New Zealand, other than Radio New Zealand International or any radio services that might replace, in whole or in part, Radio New Zealand International:
• (b) authorising other providers of media services (whether by sale or licensing) to broadcast or publish content that has already been broadcast or published in a commercial-free manner by the public radio company:
• (c) arranging for providers of delivery platforms to provide access to live broadcasts of the content of the public radio company, but only if—
• (i) the content is free to access on the public radio company’s services; and
• (ii) the content is commercial-free, whether or not the delivery platforms are free to access; and
• (iii) any advertising or sponsorship on the delivery platforms is not expressly or impliedly presented as advertising or sponsorship carried or endorsed by the public radio company (other than announcements of the public radio company’s own services).

(5) In this section,—

     commercial-free

     (a) means—

• (i) free to access; and
• (ii) without advertising and sponsorship; but

     (b) to avoid doubt, does not include announcements by the public radio company of its own services

     delivery platform—

• (a) means any method of transmitting audio, visual, or audiovisual content; and
• (b) includes (but is not limited to) Internet sites, applications, and software.

8C Review of Charter

(1) The House of Representatives must periodically review the Charter.

(2) The first review must be undertaken and completed as soon as practicable after 5 years after the commencement of the Radio New Zealand Amendment Act 2016.

(3) A subsequent review must be undertaken and completed as soon as practicable after the fifth anniversary of the later of the dates specified in subsection (4).

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the dates are—

• (a) the date on which the select committee that reviews the Charter presents its report to the House of Representatives:
• (b) the date on which any subsequent legislation that amends the Charter comes into force.

8D Reporting

(1) The public radio company must include in its annual report required by section 150 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 an assessment of the extent to which its performance fulfils its Charter.

(2) In making the assessment, the public radio company must take into account—

• (a) research relating to a representative selection of members of the public (including persons who are not members of its current audience); and
• (b) the measures, if any, it has taken as a result of the research.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)?(a), the public radio company must undertake or obtain the research on a regular basis, but at least once a year.

The terms of reference that we agreed on are fairly tight and I expect the Chair will rule more than a few submissions out of scope if they don’t address the Charter and/or the Questions the Committee agreed on. I urge you though to have your voice heard by reading the above and making a submission that won’t get left on the cutting room floor of our democracy as it is vital we get all voices being heard about their views on the future of our public broadcaster.

The key Questions from the terms of reference are here:

• How have the changes introduced to the Charter by the Radio New Zealand Amendment Act 2016 guided RNZ’s operations?
• Are the principles of operation, outlined in the “Purpose” section of the Charter, still fit for purpose? Specifically we are focusing on the questions: Does RNZ currently provide reliable, independent, and freely accessible information? Does RNZ programming effectively reflect New Zealand’s ethnic, cultural and artistic diversity?
• Are the standards and objectives, outlined in the “Delivery” section of the Charter, still fit for purpose? We are particularly interested in the following questions: Is RNZ utilising its platforms and modes of delivery effectively, especially given technological advancements? Does RNZ effectively preserve and archive material of historical significance? If so, what criteria does RNZ use to determine what is historically significant? Given RNZ’s focus on increasing youth listenership, is RNZ adequately accounting for different age group audiences?
• Are any changes needed to the wording of the Charter?

Regardless of the potential future of New Zealand’s public media, it is pretty clear a public radio station and non-commercial broadcaster in some form or another will remain a part of our airwaves for years to come so it is vital to me as National’s Spokesperson for Broadcasting and Media you get your voice on the future of the Charter and Radio New Zealand itself.

Here are some questions of my own that come to mind:

• Is the political balance right in RNZ’s commentary, podcasts and panel shows?
• Are RNZ’s editorial policies being enforced and up to standard?
• Information I’ve seen indicates RNZ is not meeting its publicly funded Maori Language and culture targets so are those targets too high (or too low)?
• Should RNZ be trying to reach audiences that may be served effectively by their own channels (i.e. ethnic media)?
• Is RNZ reflecting its intellectual and spiritual development duties for New Zealand?
• Is enough time being devoted to basic news reporting instead of commentary and opinion?
• Is RNZ currently reflecting the freedom of thought and expression it’s mandated to do?
• Is RNZ’s reporting, commentary and other media sufficiently tolerant and understanding of all New Zealanders?
• What should RNZ look like in 30 years’ time and will we still need a public broadcaster in a globally evolving world?

National wants the best value out of the public media sector when the hard-earned dollars of Kiwi families and businesses go towards supporting it. We also want it to be transparent and we want it to be telling stories that New Zealanders want to hear and giving the news in a clear, unbiased fashion.

When we talk about public media or public interest journalism we should be talking about things that we can all engage with, so if you aren’t an active listener of RNZ or are concerned about any of its operations now is the time to act, be clear in your views and have your say.

I’ve opened the door for you to tell Parliament what you think. I hope you have your say.

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