The Government is substantially increasing the amount of funding for public media to ensure New Zealanders can continue to access quality local content and trusted news.

“Our decision to create a new independent and future-focused public media entity is about achieving this objective, and we will support it with a significant funding increase,” Kris Faafoi said.

“As people change the way they get their news, information and entertainment from almost limitless sources, it is vital that there is still a strong platform for New Zealanders to see and hear themselves.”

The new entity will be multi-platform and designed to reach new and existing audiences.

“Built on the best of TVNZ and Radio NZ, it will better meet the challenges of technology changes and global competition.

“Budget 2022 provides new funding of $327 million over three years for the entity. This is for the three years from 2023 when the entity will begin operating, through to 2026.

“The entity is not-for-profit and we will guarantee a continuation of non-commercial programming. It will also generate commercial revenue to supplement Crown funding, making it more financially sustainable and allowing it to better deliver on its public media outcomes,” Kris Faafoi said.

This includes providing local news, entertainment and documentaries across a number of platforms and partnering with other New Zealand media.

Budget 2022 also includes additional change and establishment funding for the new entity and to Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage for monitoring the entity.

To ensure content broadcast on radio and television continues to be regulated effectively and efficiently, Budget 2022 will also commit $1.2 million to the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) over the next four years.

Budget 2022 also invests in critical infrastructure by providing $4.4 million capital funding for a new transmitter for RNZ Pacific.

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