April 26, 2021
Media merger not the only option
The chair of the group looking at a new public media entity says it’s still not certain whether it needs to involve the merger of Radio New Zealand and TVNZ.
Tracey Martin says the group has been asked to work out what sort of public media is needed to support a functioning democracy, and how it can function across the new platforms.
She says RNZ and TVNZ have already trusted sources, but public media is broader than that.
"It's actually the ecosystem for all those, whether it be iwi radio, Access radio, community radio and so on, has become more and more challenged because of where the audience is going, where the advertisers are going, but also our 15 to 24 year olds, the content they are listening to is not being created by them or by New Zealand," she says.
Tracey Martin says she is talking with the ministerial advisory group looking at potential changes to Māori media, and working towards coming up with a business case and draft charter by August so Minister Kris Faafoi can take it to Cabinet by October.
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