Dunne accused of 'hollow words' over TVNZ7 demise

United Future leader Peter Dunne isn't impressed by the decision to allow Kiwi FM an extension to broadcast on a public frequency. Photo / NZ Herald

Labour has accused United Future leader Peter Dunne of standing by while public broadcaster TVNZ7 was cut.

TVNZ7 went off air at midnight on Saturday.

Mr Dunne labelled the Government's decision to allow a commercial radio operator to continue to broadcast on a public frequency as the ``ultimate insult'' to those who supported TVNZ7.

But Labour's broadcasting spokeswoman Claire Curran accused Mr Dunne of jumping on the bandwagon too late in the piece.

"Mr Dunne should have flexed his political muscles when he was in a position to save TVNZ7,'' she said.

"Dunne's comments are hollow words from a hollow man,'' she said.

Mr Dunne said he had opposed the closure of TVNZ7 since it was announced.

He said it was inconsistent for the Government to renew a contract for MediaWorks to broadcast Kiwi FM for six months.

"I think they saw them as just being an elitist, self-obsessed group, when in actual fact they were a large number of New Zealanders speaking out for a role in having a decent public broadcasting system in the future,'' he told morning report.

"What we have from Ms Curran is nothing more than Labour's usual inane `why didn't you bring the Government down over it?' line which they wheel out with monotonous regularity.''

"That is what I call posturing, and more so when you consider that TVNZ7`s fate was all but sealed by Labour in government when it decided the ring-fenced funding it was receiving from NZ on Air was to be contestable,'' he said.