Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson says Radio New Zealand needs to find new audiences.
With the scrapping of plans to merge the service with TVNZ, Mr Jackson says some of the money earmarked for that new public media entity will instead go to Radio New Zealand and New Zealand on Air.
RNZ will receive an annual increase of $25.7m including $12m for RNZ to maintain public media services, $12m for a new digital platform and $1.7m to continue transmission on the AM band.
NZ On Air will also receive a $10m increase for 2023/24 which will focus on reaching new audiences.
The minister says after a nine-year funding freeze under National, RNZ needs an infusion.
“I’m sure this funding boost will help them hit the audiences that haven’t been tapped into. The Māori audience really needs to be tapped into. The Pasifika audience. Disabled people. Tap into audiences that have been a bit lost perhaps over the years because they haven’t had opportunities in terms of funding so they have cut back on services,” Mr Jackson says.
He says extreme weather events have shown the value of maintaining AM capacity.
Announcements on funding for Maori broadcasters will be made in next month’s Budget.
