Failed media merger: Willie Jackson says new strategy and funding decision coming on Thursday

Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson said today that an RNZ funding decision would be made "over the next 24 hours". Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government will soon unveil a new public media plan, including how much extra funding RNZ will receive as part of the money left over after the failed bid to merge it with TVNZ.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage had set aside about $44 million to spend on the public media merger, but the Government pulled the plug in February as part of Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ policy bonfire, or “reprioritisation”, as he called it.

RNZ has reported about $19.6m of that had been spent, almost 60 per cent of which went on contractors and consultants.

In February, Hipkins said there remained a need for further support for public media and that RNZ would be provided with “additional funding to secure its financial stability and to strengthen its role”.

He said New Zealand On Air would also receive additional funding to support public media content, which would be accessible across a range of platforms.

He also signalled work would continue on a public media strategy “at a lower cost and without the need for significant structural change”.

Asked on Wednesday about these issues, Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson said he would soon be announcing a “broadcasting strategy for all New Zealanders”.

He said it had “nothing to do with the merger”.

“But New Zealand does deserve, and people deserve, a co-ordinated and cohesive broadcasting strategy and that will be rolled out and the beginnings of that will be over the next day or two.”

Jackson said it was “very sad” about the closure of Today FM and how it occurred, pointing out he used to work for Radio Live, also owned by MediaWorks.

“That’s why it’s imperative that we start rolling out something different.

“I’ll be making some decisions, making some announcements with regards to that over the next 24 hours.”

Asked about funding decisions with the remaining merger money, Jackson that too would be announced within the “next 24 hours”.

Hipkins had previously said RNZ was going to need “somewhere between $5m and $12m a year”.

Jackson was also asked about news that TVNZ chief executive Simon Power was quitting after a little over a year in the role. Power supported the new entity Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media but had been quite critical of the bill as it had been drafted.

Asked about Power’s departure and whether there had been difficulties between the two of them, Jackson said he supported Power’s decision to stand down.

“It’s Simon’s decision. I respect his decision to move on. He’s a person who’s done really well out there.

“Simon and I have had some real robust kōrero over the last few months. And I’ve been very comfortable with it. I hope he has. Obviously, we didn’t agree on everything. But that’s fine.”

Jackson said he would be working with RNZ on the new strategy and also indicated new board appointments for TVNZ would be made “over the next couple of months”.