Have your say on an inquiry into the Radio New Zealand Charter

Source: New Zealand Parliament

Radio New Zealand Limited (RNZ) was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995 as an independent multimedia organisation and Crown entity. RNZ’s Charter is contained in section 8 of the Act and outlines the organisation’s purpose and service delivery expectations.

RNZ’s Charter was amended in 2016 by the Radio New Zealand Amendment Act 2016, which also inserted a requirement for the House of Representatives to review the Charter, every five years.

To assist the House’s review, the Economic Development, Science, and Innovation Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Charter. Jamie Strange, chair of the committee, is pleased to announce that the committee has agreed on terms of reference for the inquiry. On behalf of the committee, he invites the public to be a part of this important review and looks forward to hearing a diverse range of opinions from key stakeholders and interested members of the public.

The inquiry will address the following key questions:

1. How have the changes introduced to the Charter by the Radio New Zealand Amendment Act 2016 guided RNZ’s operations?
2. Are the principles of operation, outlined in the “Purpose” section of the Charter, still fit for purpose? Specifically, we are focusing on the questions below:
   • Does RNZ currently provide reliable, independent, and freely accessible information?
   • Does RNZ programming effectively reflect New Zealand’s ethnic, cultural and artistic diversity?

3. Are the standards and objectives, outlined in the “Delivery” section of the Charter, still fit for purpose? We are particularly interested in the questions below:
   • Is RNZ utilising its platforms and modes of delivery effectively, especially given technological advancements?
   • Does RNZ effectively preserve and archive material of historical significance?
     • If so, what criteria does RNZ use to determine what is historically significant?
   • Given RNZ’s focus on increasing youth listenership, is RNZ adequately accounting for different age group audiences?

4. Are any changes needed to the wording of the Charter?

Tell the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee what you think

Make a submission on the inquiry by midnight on 13 August 2021.

For more details about the Charter:

ENDS

For media enquiries contact:

Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee staff

edsi@parliament.govt.nz

MIL OSI

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