Tom Frewen: PM on delivering a set of deliverables

“How will it end? Will there be a mighty wind?” – British comedians Peter Cook and Rowan Atkinson discuss potential scenarios for the end of the world in a sketch about a Doomsday Cult in the Secret Policeman’s Ball, a comic revue raising funds for Amnesty International at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, in June 1979.

John Campbell, TVNZ’s Chief Correspondent, posed similar questions on X (Twitter) when promoting his end-of-year politics column on Saturday 30 December last year. “Who are we?” he asked. “Where are we heading? And who will we be when we get there? Are we on the cusp of something new or something old?”

Tom Frewen: Is Video Killing the Public Radio Star?

The next government’s broadcasting and media minister, if this outmoded cabinet portfolio survives the election, will face the challenge of untangling the unholy mess that Labour’s three broadcasting ministers made of state-owned television and radio over the last six years.

TVNZ, which is supposed to make a profit and pay dividends, is forecasting a loss of $15 million next year and is making extensive cuts to its operation. RNZ, which is fully-funded and therefore not expected to be profitable, is wondering how to spend a surplus of $8 million.