Tune Out, Turn Off And Stop Spending

ACT New Zealand Broadcasting Spokesman Deborah Coddington today criticised State-owned Radio New Zealand for calling on taxpayers to spend $26 million on a failing and ailing broadcaster.

"Chairman Brian Corban has asked for another $3 million from the Government today, on top of the annual $23 million for a public broadcaster that has lost around 33,000 listeners in the last 12 months," Ms Coddington said.

"On top of that, another 15,000 listeners have turned off Concert FM. And, after listening to the post-modernist noise - that masquerades as music - which emanates from the Concert Programme, who could blame them? It's a return to Manuel and the Music of the Mountains.

"I have some advice for National Radio - public broadcasting means providing programmes across the whole political spectrum. National Radio, on the other hand, seems to think public broadcasting means reflecting the views of the Labour Government.

"So we get an endless parade of neo-socialists - CTU economists commenting on prosperity on Morning Report, politically correct middle-age lefties posing as `yoof' culture slagging private media, and endless interviews with women called Kate on Saturday mornings.

"Where are the voices of the market liberals? Just one champion for freedom and individual liberty would be progress, but Radio New Zealand seems pathologically incapable of mentioning the `F' word.

"Around 54,000 Zealanders have woken up to the fact that Radio New Zealand is boring, boring, boring and they've exercised their right to use the `Off' switch.

"They should be allowed to keep their taxes to spend on the media of their choice, not forced to support an unresponsive dinosaur," Ms Coddington said.

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