On April 10, 1919, the preliminary results of a referendum showed that New Zealanders had narrowly voted for prohibition by a majority of around 13,000 votes. However, when the votes of soldiers still overseas after World War I were later added in, the right to drink was retained by just over 10,000 votes.
April 10, 1968, was one of the blackest days in New Zealand history when the inter-island ferry, Wahine, sank at the entry to Wellington Harbour with the initial loss of 51 lives, later to rise to 53. For rugby followers, April 10, 1973, will be remembered as the day Prime Minister Norman Kirk cancelled that year’s planned South African rugby tour to New Zealand. Other sports lovers will recall April 10, 1984, as the day when Dame Susan Devoy became the first New Zealander to win a British Squash Open title, the first of eight such titles she would win.
April 10, 2024, now seems set to be remembered, to paraphrase songwriter Don McLean as “the day the television media died” with Newshub’s confirmation that all its news and current affairs programmes will cease on July 5, quickly followed by TVNZ’s announcements of severe cuts to its news services, including the cancellation from May of flagship programmes, “Fair Go” and “Sunday”.
Newshub’s and TVNZ News’ demise had been foreshadowed some weeks ago, so this week’s announcements were not really a surprise. Many commentators have lamented that the end of television news and current affairs broadcasting, as we have known it, is a significant challenge for our democracy. They argue there will be a loss of diversity of opinion, and that having on to rely on the more limited services that the state broadcaster will now provide runs the risk of pro-government news predominating.
However, a recent survey of New Zealanders’ news watching habits shows a different picture and offers a partial explanation for Newshub’s and TVNZ’s decisions. In short, we have been relying less and less on television as our major news provider for some time now and have also been becoming less and less trusting of television news’ impartiality. While this mirrors an international trend, the decline in viewership and trust levels has been more marked and sudden in New Zealand than elsewhere.
A contributing factor seems to have been the “Podium of Truth”, “Jessica/Tova” circus we endured during the Covid19 lockdowns, and the government’s establishment of the $50 million public interest journalism fund to support media outlets during the pandemic. Whether intended or not, these created the public impression that the government was buying the media’s support to sell its pandemic message. But rather than build public confidence in the media’s credibility, they had precisely the opposite effect.
Add to that, a marked decline in television advertising revenues – Warner Brothers Discovery has estimated that TV3’s annual advertising revenues have fallen by 74% because of the general economic downturn, and the position would be no doubt similar for TVNZ – and this week’s decisions became virtually inevitable.
There have been suggestions of new online streaming arrangements to replace programmes like “Fair Go”, or possible external contracting arrangements to provide contestable new services to both channels, but nothing specific or substantial has emerged so far. While it is not the government’s responsibility to bail out failing industries overtaken by new ways of doing things, the government does have a role to play in preserving the expression of diverse views and ensuring that New Zealanders have access to major national and international news streams.
However, to date, Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee has been disappointingly quiet. She has expressed her sorrow at the likely heavy loss of jobs and said she is taking advice on the issue, but, as the Prime Minister confirms, has not yet made any specific suggestions to Cabinet. The clock is ticking though – by the time Newshub’s doors close on July 5, New Zealanders have a right to know what alternatives will be in place to ensure they can access quality news services in the future.
On that count, the gloom and despondency now understandably affecting those most directly affected, is unlikely to be long-term. New opportunities and ways of doing things will almost certainly arise to replace what has been lost. In the meantime, we should acknowledge with gratitude the service and professionalism of those whose familiar faces we have got to know over the years and wish them well for the future.
Whatever happens next though, April 10, will continue to be a day of national significance.
Peter Dunne, a retired Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, who represented Labour and United Future for over 30 years, blogs here: honpfd.blogspot.com - Where this article was sourced.
April 10, 2024, now seems set to be remembered, to paraphrase songwriter Don McLean as “the day the television media died” with Newshub’s confirmation that all its news and current affairs programmes will cease on July 5, quickly followed by TVNZ’s announcements of severe cuts to its news services, including the cancellation from May of flagship programmes, “Fair Go” and “Sunday”.
Newshub’s and TVNZ News’ demise had been foreshadowed some weeks ago, so this week’s announcements were not really a surprise. Many commentators have lamented that the end of television news and current affairs broadcasting, as we have known it, is a significant challenge for our democracy. They argue there will be a loss of diversity of opinion, and that having on to rely on the more limited services that the state broadcaster will now provide runs the risk of pro-government news predominating.
However, a recent survey of New Zealanders’ news watching habits shows a different picture and offers a partial explanation for Newshub’s and TVNZ’s decisions. In short, we have been relying less and less on television as our major news provider for some time now and have also been becoming less and less trusting of television news’ impartiality. While this mirrors an international trend, the decline in viewership and trust levels has been more marked and sudden in New Zealand than elsewhere.
A contributing factor seems to have been the “Podium of Truth”, “Jessica/Tova” circus we endured during the Covid19 lockdowns, and the government’s establishment of the $50 million public interest journalism fund to support media outlets during the pandemic. Whether intended or not, these created the public impression that the government was buying the media’s support to sell its pandemic message. But rather than build public confidence in the media’s credibility, they had precisely the opposite effect.
Add to that, a marked decline in television advertising revenues – Warner Brothers Discovery has estimated that TV3’s annual advertising revenues have fallen by 74% because of the general economic downturn, and the position would be no doubt similar for TVNZ – and this week’s decisions became virtually inevitable.
There have been suggestions of new online streaming arrangements to replace programmes like “Fair Go”, or possible external contracting arrangements to provide contestable new services to both channels, but nothing specific or substantial has emerged so far. While it is not the government’s responsibility to bail out failing industries overtaken by new ways of doing things, the government does have a role to play in preserving the expression of diverse views and ensuring that New Zealanders have access to major national and international news streams.
However, to date, Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee has been disappointingly quiet. She has expressed her sorrow at the likely heavy loss of jobs and said she is taking advice on the issue, but, as the Prime Minister confirms, has not yet made any specific suggestions to Cabinet. The clock is ticking though – by the time Newshub’s doors close on July 5, New Zealanders have a right to know what alternatives will be in place to ensure they can access quality news services in the future.
On that count, the gloom and despondency now understandably affecting those most directly affected, is unlikely to be long-term. New opportunities and ways of doing things will almost certainly arise to replace what has been lost. In the meantime, we should acknowledge with gratitude the service and professionalism of those whose familiar faces we have got to know over the years and wish them well for the future.
Whatever happens next though, April 10, will continue to be a day of national significance.
Peter Dunne, a retired Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, who represented Labour and United Future for over 30 years, blogs here: honpfd.blogspot.com - Where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
" In the meantime, we should acknowledge with gratitude the service and professionalism of those whose familiar faces we have got to know over the years and wish them well for the future."
No, Mr Dunne, the public does not owe acknowledgement and gratitude for the service and professionalism... These media figures did not protest against the PIJF but happily read the rubbish pouring forth from the Sole Podium of Truth and then adding their own opinions as if it was actually News.
I cannot bring myself to agree that the media personnel were "professional" whatsoever in their services to the "News". They now suffer the consequences of their actions -- or more accurately, their lack of actions.
It is a very sad state of affairs. Trust will be difficult to restore and impossible to if the industry doesn't take a good dose of self-awareness and see the public perception and problems of their own making.
MC
Has anyone else noted that the TVNZ Te Karare Maori news bulletin has not been considered for eliminating ?
The question is why ?
Don't suggest that it's viewing figures are so large that there would be outrage.
I suspect that you could count the viewers on the thumbs of one hand.
Would it be regarded as sacrilege to remove a news bulletin for only Maori speakers ?
They only have to switch to watching either of the two taxpayer provided Maori television channels, or listen to dozens of taxpayer funded Maori radio stations.
TVNZ management give the impression of being racist hypocrites - prove me wrong.
For many decades tens of thousands of hard working honest toiling kiwis have been loosing their jobs because of market changes not because of any fault of their own.
These media clowns have caused their own demise by the deceit and lies they continually poured forth, as Stephen Joyce said in a room of sixty people he asked how many watch the news not one hand went up, so bye bye media.
"To bad so sad never mind." Next.
I do not agree Mr Dunne, I haven't watched the news since Jacinda mania started and the podium of truth, total left wing bias on all fronts. Then came the left's PIJF payed for by the taxpayer no less, more left wing propaganda at its finest. You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink !! Good riddens to them I say, they are getting what they deserve. The next ones to fall will be Stuff and the Herald as they all sing from the same song sheet. The MSM,s job is to report the facts in an unbiased way, not to twist them to fit an ideology and certainly not to give their oppinion, just let people decide for themselves. They all have a lot to answer for, and that will come in the form of their demise as is happening now.
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