Some of TVNZ's biggest names are (from left) broadcasters Hilary Barry, Simon Dallow, Jenny-May Clarkson and John Campbell. Photo / TVNZ
Some of TVNZ's biggest names are (from left) broadcasters Hilary Barry, Simon Dallow, Jenny-May Clarkson and John Campbell. Photo / TVNZ
TVNZ needs to find another $30 million in revenue generation and cost savings – with a trade union fearful of a renewed, even bigger round of job losses and programming cuts.
The state broadcaster confirmed on Thursday afternoon it was seeking ideas from href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/journalists/" target="_blank">staff for “strategic changes”.
“We’ve been transparent with our people and publicly that we need to deliver $30m in savings (through revenue generation and cost reduction) as we work towards our Digital+ 2030 strategy,” said a spokeswoman.
“This is not a proposal and no decisions have been made. In this challenging media landscape, we must consider all options to ensure TVNZ is a sustainable media business. We don’t have the answers yet and it’s something we will work through as a business with our people over the coming months.”
The E tū union said TVNZ’s leadership had notified workers of a new round of change processes. It feared “further significant changes that could lead to even larger cuts than we have already seen”.
“Management have initiated this process with the claim they need to increase their annual earnings by $30m, by either increasing revenue or reducing costs,” said E tū negotiation specialist Michael Wood.
It comes just a day after TVNZ chairman Alastair Carruthers and chief executive Jodi O’Donnell appeared before a Parliamentary select committee and defended earlier staff and show cuts.
Carruthers told the committee there was nothing about the Sunday and Fair Go cuts that felt good.
“This is probably the most wicked illustration of the challenges we have financially,” Carruthers said. “We simply can’t afford to do some of the things that we have done in the past because of the way they are made.”
Wood says today’s development “demonstrates a worrying trend at TVNZ”.
TVNZ chairman Alastair Carruthers, second from left, and chief executive Jodi O'Donnell, second from right, at the Parliamentary select committee yesterday. Alongside them are Film Commission chief executive Annie Murray and RNZ chairman Jim Mather.
“E tū members at TVNZ and across media have been campaigning hard to ‘Save our Stories’ so that New Zealanders continue to have access to media that informs and holds power to account,” said Wood.
“As such, we are concerned that TVNZ is looking into further significant changes that could lead to even larger cuts than we have already seen.
“The good news is that because union members at TVNZ have successfully campaigned on this issue, and defended their rights in the Employment Court, there is now a proper process in place to have union members at the table and involved in discussion about possible change at a much earlier stage.
“We will be taking this process seriously. An ongoing move towards a digital future at TVNZ is a reality, however, we will fight hard to ensure that as this change happens, TVNZ fulfils its obligations to New Zealanders by ensuring that it produces high-quality content, by skilled and experienced media workers.
“TVNZ, and the Government as the sole shareholder, cannot and must not use this process to walk away from news and current affairs, and telling the stories that matter to New Zealand.”
Fair Go host Pippa Wetzell and Sunday host Miriama Kamo.
“Decent journalism is an absolute necessity in a well-functioning democracy. That’s why TVNZ needs to be supported as a public broadcaster.
“It makes no sense to allow such a crucial tool for information and accountability to gradually wither away as the traditional commercial model for media becomes less financially sustainable in the digital age.”
Its latest statement of performance expectations reveals the state broadcaster now has 617.2 fulltime equivalent employees – down from around 700 a year ago. That number is likely to continue to drop.
Questioned by reporters after the select committee hearing yesterday, O’Donnell said there was “no definitive range” on what the organisation would look like in the future.
Asked if she was planning to cut any more shows, she said: “I don’t have any plan to share today.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
