Unions Otago supports the call for the release of the funding freeze on Radio New Zealand. This government is slowly making it impossible for RNZ to continue and we are risk of losing our only public national broadcaster.
Despite the importance of RNZ, our government refuses to fund it properly. They have imposed an 8 year funding freeze on RNZ which after inflation amounts to a 12% cut in funding. At the same time the government expects RNZ to expand into digital and online media, which comes with a significant cost.
RNZ represents our only example of a non commercial broadcaster where news and view are aired without bias and impartially. This government has a moral and social responsibility to provide adequate funding to the most listened to broadcaster in the country.
All New Zealanders benefit from RNZ’s work to provoke debate, report on the issues of the day, entertain people throughout the country and reflect our national identity. It is a crucially important national treasure and we need to fund it properly.
Fund RNZ 