Jodi O'Donnell joins Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan live in studio to discuss the proposed restructure at the state broadcaster including why they're proposing to cut Sunday, Fair Go, Tonight and Midday.
Television New Zealand’s current affairs show Sunday will be pulled from the air, as will Fair Go and the Midday and Tonight news shows under cost-saving proposals.
Those working on Sunday took to social media after the news broke: “Journalism is in crisis. This is ... about what we believe is the sustained degradation of the fourth estate in New Zealand.”
One News 6pm newsreader Simon Dallow presents a story on TVNZ's proposed news cuts.
Politicians and media personalities from other companies and Television New Zealand (TVNZ) itself have described the “gutting” of news, current affairs and investigative journalism as “disgraceful” and “confronting”.
Walking from the building, 1News reporter Simon Mercep described it as “a terrible day”.
‘A lot of anger in the air’ at TVNZ
On 1News last night, the media company had to report on the difficulty it was facing.
Reporter Kim Baker Wilson fronted the report and described his own experience in a meeting where staff were officially told of the proposed cuts.
“The meeting felt heated and you could feel a lot of anger in the air,” Baker Wilson said.
TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell was interviewed as part of the broadcast and said, “Nothing gives me any joy” having to announce the proposed cuts.
Fair Go's team have issued a new statement saying they will fight for the show.
The company’s executive editor, Phil O’Sullivan, said of his staff: “There are some really good people down there who are going to lose their jobs.”
Sixty-eight jobs will be cut across all business areas.
The proposals “aren’t [made] lightly”, O’Donnell said in a statement to other media.
“Significant analysis has gone into the proposals. The proposals we have presented in no way relate to the immense contribution of the teams that work on these shows and the significant value they’ve provided over many years,” she said.
1News Reporter Kim Baker Wilson fronted their news report and described his own experience in a meeting where staff were officially told of the proposed cuts. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“Unfortunately, we need to reduce our costs to ensure the business remains sustainable.”
New TVNZ CEO Jodie O’Donnell. Photo / Dean Purcell
“We need to do something more significant. So we’ve had a look at all our options. I’ve been open about the fact there are no ‘sacred cows’ and we need to find ways to stop doing some things because we need to cut costs.”
O’Donnell said TVNZ was investing more than $40 million into news and current affairs: “So we absolutely believe in the future of news and current affairs.”
Pressed on specifically which programmes would be cut - including possible changes to Shortland Street - O’Donnell said any show could be affected: “We’re looking at everything.”
“We’ll constantly be looking at things to keep our operating model in line with our revenue.
TVNZ's headquarters in Auckland. Photo / Chris Keall
“We are a commercial business. That’s the remit we need to work with.”
She said TVNZ’s decision-making was partly based on which shows would work in a “digital world”.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was a “pretty tough time” being a TVNZ employee and spoke about media organisations struggling as consumers found news and content in different ways than the past.
Luxon said revenue models were “breaking down”.
However, he said he was not interested in seeing the Government own any more media assets, saying it was not good for democracy. He said he was committed to the status quo in terms of Government support for state-owned media.
‘A healthy democracy relies on journalists’
Luxon’s comments came despite many in the media’s belief democracy would suffer with the cuts to news and current affairs.
Sunday’s post on social media said, “A healthy democracy relies on the ability of experienced journalists to decipher, in-depth, the state of our country, our identity, and to hold power to account.
“We are deeply concerned about what these cuts mean, especially in a time when we are facing so many unprecedented local and global challenges.”
Former prime minister Helen Clark said the cuts were “disgraceful”. She questioned whether there were other areas in the business where savings could be made.
Many have questioned why Sunday would be included in the cuts, considering it was one of the top five-rated television shows in the country by views and was a significant contributor to 1News and TVNZ+, the company’s online streaming service.
Union negotiator and former government minister Michael Wood, who represented media workers with E tū, said TVNZ staff were in disbelief at the proposed cuts and he understood employees would fight against the proposals.
“We have deep concerns about the process and the way that staff have not been properly involved in this discussion [about cuts] to date, and we’ll be taking those concerns to the company,” he said.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
