No new television channel for RNZ, says chairman

RNZ chairman Richard Griffen (seated centre) and chief executive Paul Thompson (seated centre left) give evidence to Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee.
TOM PULLAR-STRECKER/STUFF
RNZ chairman Richard Griffen (seated centre) and chief executive Paul Thompson (seated centre left) give evidence to Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee.

Radio New Zealand will not launch a full-blown standalone television channel after all, chairman Richard Griffin says.

The Government has previously signalled it will earmark the lion's share of a proposed $38 million annual boost in this year's Budget for the public broadcaster.

But both it and RNZ had given mixed signals as to what that could entail.  

Labour said in its manifesto that it would transform RNZ into a "truly multi-platform provider" that would include a "free-to-air non-commercial television service".

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Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran said in November that meant RNZ would provide "at least one free-to-air linear, non-commercial television station". 

But Griffin told Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee on Thursday that it was not its vision that the newly dubbed RNZ+ would look like a television channel.

RNZ+ was "not about a new television station per se", Griffin said.

Curran said it was "early days for RNZ+ but down the track there may be a free-to-air linear television station as part of it".

"I am comfortable with what RNZ is working on now; ie. an expanded range of high quality content which includes radio, online and video," she said.

RNZ already has a channel on Freeview, which it uses to carry its radio service and which it sometimes uses to deliver television.  

Chief executive Paul Thompson said RNZ wanted to deliver an expanded range of "high quality content", the delivery of which would in part be televisual.

"But it won't be a standalone free-to-air TV channel in the sense like any of the other broadcasters are doing.

"At the moment we have TV channels that we broadcast audio over and at times we go the 'full television piece'.

"We will see that grow but it won't be the focus what we are doing. That material will also be available on your smartphone and your tablet." 

Thompson said RNZ would be talking in the next couple of weeks with a new advisory group that has been set up by the Government to pave the way for a new Public Media Funding Commission.

"Then it is about what is in the Budget."