New Zealand First will promote diverse, innovative and quality programming, including programmes reflecting New Zealand’s identity, character and cultural diversity. It will also promote the development of a broadcasting industry that is responsive to audience needs, respects community standards and places a high priority on the protection of children from harmful material.
There is an important role for publicly owned television and radio networks to provide essential communications in the event of national emergencies.
New Zealand First will:
- Combine Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and Radio New Zealand under one state-owned enterprise known as New Zealand Broadcasting (NZB), modelled on similar public broadcasting systems overseas, and with clear aims that include promoting our nation’s unique qualities, and the coverage of significant national events.
- Re-establish a non-commercial public service free-to-air channel with a concentration on quality programming based on the TVNZ 7 model.
- Introduce lower dividend requirements to allow more expenditure on quality programming thus removing the need for low value programming with high advertising content.
- Require TV One and Radio New Zealand to establish a common complementary administrative and logistical system.
- Require TV One and Radio New Zealand to establish a common complementary news service that enhances coverage.
- Set up a more secure system of funding for Radio New Zealand and remove it from the list of charitable trusts.
- Ensure that all future appointments to the NZB board are made on the basis of experience, expertise, and appropriate representation from industry and consumers, and not political patronage.
- Require that salaries paid beyond accepted public service bands, particularly but not exclusively in broadcasting, be cleared with and signed off by stakeholder ministers.
- Improve Radio New Zealand’s international services to the Pacific region.
- Review the efficacy of the process of allocating digital channels and radio spectrum bands and ensure that emergency facilities are protected.
- Support community-based television and radio broadcasting.
- Continue to work with the industry and the public to achieve and maintain a voluntary quota system to increase the New Zealand content of radio and television broadcasting.
- Improve processes and funding mechanisms (including via New Zealand On Air) in order to develop the amount and quality of New Zealand content.
- Raise broadcasting standards especially in relation to violence, obscenities, and pornography.
- Strengthen the rating system for video games with a move towards restricting access by minors to graphically violent and sexually explicit video games.
- Review the regulations and practices relating to the use and allocation of funds for the broadcasting of election programmes.
Fund RNZ 