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Summarised by Centrist
Better Public Media (BPM), a New Zealand advocacy group for stronger public media, welcomes the Ministry for Culture & Heritage’s Media Reform discussion paper but warns it ignores deeper structural issues.
While merging NZ On Air and the NZ Film Commission, expanding content regulations, and requiring local content on streaming services are positive steps, BPM calls them “no more than a band-aid on the media sector’s severed arteries.”
BPM slams the paper’s silence on TVNZ’s future. As the state broadcaster cuts flagship programmes like Sunday and Fair Go to chase more profitable content, BPM warns New Zealand lacks a robust public media platform independent of commercial pressures.
“Even if public funding were available, such market failures are not going to be addressed by any new obligation on streaming platforms,” the group states.
Another glaring omission is the role of global tech giants in siphoning advertising revenue away from domestic media. While the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill is mentioned as a possible solution, BPM believes it is unlikely to succeed without provoking retaliation from the US.
Instead, the group advocates for a broad-based levy on digital advertising, telecommunications, and audiovisual retail goods, which could generate up to $300 million annually—enough to properly fund independent public media.
