NZ Labour party promises new public broadcaster

Tuesday 01 Nov 2011
New Zealand’s Labour party has promised to launch a new public broadcaster if it is elected, TVNZ reports.

A nationwide debate on what form the broadcaster takes and how it will be funded would be held within a year of Labour taking office, Broadcasting Spokesperson Clare Curran said.

Ms Curran said it would bring together elements of already existing non-commercial public broadcasters like digital channel TVNZ7 and Radio NZ.

“The current government axed TVNZ7 and stripped TVNZ of its public charter,” Ms Curran said.

“We are currently one of the very few countries in the world without a public television broadcaster.”

She said the new broadcaster could include a new nationwide news service.

The New Zealand government confirmed earlier this year it would not extend funding for TVNZ7. The channel is to be closed in June next year.

Funding for Radio New Zealand was also frozen last year.