Does public broadcasting have a future in NZ?

If public broadcasting is to survive it must move with the times

By Chris Whitworth

The National government's current media policies read like an obituary for public broadcasting.

TVNZ's charter has been laid to rest, TVNZ 6 kicked the bucket last year and the writing's on the wall for TVNZ 7.

Radio New Zealand is considered by many the last beacon of hope for public broadcasting, but even that is on life support.

Last night Auckland's Unitec held a timely forum on reinventing public broadcasting in New Zealand.

A media panel discussed how technology and new thinking can cut a fresh path for public broadcasting in New Zealand.

Host and business columnist Rod Oram says the old model of public broadcasting no longer works. But says a new business model and the merging of old and new media will breathe life into the public service.

"The conventional model of public broadcasting is pretty dead; it's certainly dead [in terms of] where the Government stands on those issues," he says.

"If we learn how to do things in better and more interesting ways we will reclaim [the public's] interest."

He says a move online is the "obvious choice" but not necessarily the best.

"It's not just a case of the widest possible audience but also the greatest possible convenience."

The forum comes just days after Radio New Zealand announced a possible venture into television.

John Barnett the CEO of South Pacific Pictures, who is working with RNZ on the deal, was on the panel and says "National Television" could offer high quality content at a low price.

He says the station would broadcast 18 hours a day and mix Radio New Zealand's existing content with fresh local content and overseas news, documentaries and current affairs.

"At its core would be the current affairs and the news and the debate and discussion that we currently have and I think that it would invigorate Radio New Zealand," says Mr Barnett.

But other panellists fear without sufficient funding the service would become simply a webcam in a radio studio – the public forced to watch "talking heads".

Panellist Terri Bryne, broadcast manager for Planet FM, says public broadcasting must start from the ground up.

She says communities are already creating their own content and resources should be utilised to build on this.

"Just doing it is the best solution," she says.

Ms Bryne says if local communities are encouraged to generate their own content, a natural audience will grow, the Government will take notice, and "policy will follow the people".

However, Mr Oram says public broadcasting will be ineffective unless it has the required size and gravitas to throw its weight behind national issues.

"Politics and business is a very bruising experience where powerful people, powerful organisations throw their weight around and you are either an incredibly feisty, strong-minded individual or your better off having a large organisation behind you."

Mr Barnett made this point clear saying even Radio New Zealand sometimes struggled to get airtime from politicians, who did not perceive them to have a large enough audience.

Underlying the discussion was a tension between creating quality content without reliance on Government funding.

State money has always dictated public broadcasting on a national-scale in New Zealand but the way media is created and distributed is changing. It's just not clear how public broadcasting fits into this new landscape. 

Mr Oram says New Zealand's small size rules out pay-per-view broadcasting like that in the UK.

He suggests public broadcasting look to the St John's ambulance business model, which blends the use of volunteers with professionals.

Media in New Zealand has reached an interesting crossroad. Next year is the digital switch over and ultra-fast broadband rollout, and if public broadcasting is to survive it must move with the times.

Everyone, at this meeting at least, saw a future for public service media but the battle for the medium may be more important than the content itself.

Talk of a move online may be prudent but with the online market in New Zealand already a highly competitive place for news and current affairs, public service online may have its work cut out.

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