Radio, someone still loves you

Photo / The Aucklander

Lately, the day has been starting like this - too early. At anything between 4 and 5am, a cat jumps on the bed and settles next to my head, purring so loudly I can't go back to sleep. So I turn on the radio - always tuned to Radio NZ National. What's on at that hour?

Might be the kindly tones of Lloyd Scott, master of the eccentric anecdote between bits of music. Sometimes it's a documentary, or a panel discussion, or an interview with a writer. A while back it was Clive James talking about climate change.

Stimulating stuff, in that it keeps me awake, but I finally start to doze off - just before the bird call signalling the start of Morning Report. Blink! I always like to listen to Sean Plunkett and Geoff Robinson and their rigorous probing of the facts behind the news, not to mention the mauling of evasive, vague, angry pollies.

But who would have thought the future of their own network would become part of the news?

Last Friday, the day after coverage on TV news, Morning Report carried an item about Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman's ruling that RNZ will not receive any more funding for the forseeable future and the board must find ways of pruning costs or they "might need to move on".

Coleman did not front up to Morning Report that day. He was evasive. Instead we had the ravings of John Boscawen (he was angry), a list MP from that mini-minor party Act, who demanded that Geoff Robinson justify Radio NZ's position.

"I'm not here to defend Radio NZ," said Robinson. "I'm here to ask the questions." That's the point of it all, summed up nicely.

There is a commonly held belief that Steven Joyce, another lister (Nats), is pulling Coleman's strings.

Joyce's CV includes a 17-year stint "building up the Radio Works network of stations". Commercial broadcasting, including shouty talkback and shouty ad breaks, is his metier. To such people, commercial-free public broadcasting is anathema. They don't understand it because it has a value accountants cannot measure.

Since last week, I've been thinking about Radio NZ, which has been a constant presence in my life for years. I'm not alone: see Facebook's Save Radio NZ site.

Coleman is forcing the RNZ board into coming up with reductive ideas - possibly the selling off of the best news service in the country (to Radio Works?); sponsoring RNZ's classical branch; closing the Auckland premises; closing down transmission between midnight and 6am. Please no, given that it's the nation's emergency broadcaster, not to mention its invaluable services to insomniacs.

I can't say I love all of the programmes Radio NZ National and Concert have to offer because it's a matter of individual taste. But I do love all that RNZ stands for.

PM John Key, who likes to be popular, should look to Save Radio NZ which by Monday had amassed more than 12,000 followers - and rising.

It's hideous that a Government hellbent on spending millions on a Rugby World Cup venue called Party Central (what naff terminology) is hammering our world class public broadcasting service.

Give them more money so they can maintain and enhance the service - and back off. Hands off Radio NZ!