Labour Party Broadcasting Policy

LABOUR ON BROADCASTING

LABOUR’S VISION

Broadcasting is an important factor in community-building. Labour believes that the community, through the government, has a role in broadcasting be it through ownership of Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and Radio New Zealand (RNZ), management of spectrum or support for smaller broadcasters who meet the needs of particular parts of the community.

The government must also ensure that public broadcasting can benefit from advances in technology.

Labour’s approach to broadcasting is based on the development of partnerships with all those involved in the sector. The maintenance and development of a healthy broadcasting sector will only occur if there is cooperation, and clarity of common goals. Labour will provide leadership and support to these partnerships.

Labour also believes there are good reasons why the government should adopt a role in promoting public broadcasting.

Democracy Public broadcasting ensures that issues of national importance to the New Zealand community are reported, debated and explored from a variety of perspectives. Some issues will be important to some sectors of society and not to others. A public broadcaster has a responsibility to cover a wide range of issues, including minority issues.

Cultural Identity In a global society it is important to recognise what makes us different from other peoples.

Therefore we need to see and hear New Zealand stories and issues, New Zealand programmes for children, New Zealand faces and accents, New Zealand sport, New Zealand landscape and New Zealand music.

These issues are unlikely to be adequately addressed in a competitive commercial environment. For these reasons Labour accepts the public broadcaster will require some form of state funding.

ENDS

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