Cabinet will soon decide on the Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and Television New Zealand (TVNZ) merger proposal. It could be one of the most important decisions ever made about public media in New Zealand.

We (at Better Public Media – BPM) don’t know yet what the proposal is, but we do know that the way it is funded will have a huge impact on the shape of New Zealand’s new public media platform.

Minister Kris Faafoi said the new entity would have a mixed funding model which means some funding from government (like RNZ) and some from advertising (like TVNZ).

This could be a recipe for disaster, because government funding could easily flow into commercial projects while non-commercial platforms like RNZ National and Concert could be left to stagnate.

The mixed model is the worst of both worlds. Commercial funding encourages networks to dumb down their content to attract the largest possible audience. Direct government funding can be frozen or reduced by a government that doesn’t like being held to account.

The solution is a levy.

Better Public Media (BPM) wants Cabinet to consider and pursue a levy funding model that would adequately fund RNZ and TVNZ while bringing enormous benefits for the newly merged entity.

A levy would replace advertising so audiences can get the benefit of more diverse and thoughtful content, without having to put up with advertising.

And a levy would remove funding decisions from annual government budget decision-making, securing sustainable, long-term funding and taking the public media platform one step further from political manipulation.

Please help us get this message to Cabinet Ministers right now and ask them to consider a levy to fund the new merged RNZ/TVNZ entity.

Emails to MPs are more effective when you write them yourself in your own words, so have a go. There’s some info below to help or go to our website HERE. Short and sweet is just as effective as long and detailed. You could just email the Ministers to say “please consider a levy to fund RNZ/TVNZ”. That will get the message across.

More info:
*       A levy on Internet Service Providers like Spark and Vodafone could raise $300 million per year by just levying $6 per month on every internet bill. In fact there’s already a levy like this called the Telecommunications Development Levy which could be repurposed.
*       A levy on all advertising placed online, including Google and Facebook, could net much more for very little noticeable impact on consumers and advertisers.
*       A levy on the sales of companies that benefit from public media – retailers and manufacturers of screens and devices – could also net enough to fund the new merged entity.
*       A levy could also include subscriber video services like Netflix and Amazon.
*       The more industries included in the levy, the less impact on each. Each industry is included because it benefits from public media or benefits from the technological advances that necessitate the merger.

The Ministers emails are listed below. Remember to tell them if you are a regular voter or live in their electorate. And be friendly and polite.

*       Jacinda Ardern – Prime Minister, Associate Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, MP for Mt Albert – j.ardern@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=549&qid=645332>
*       Grant Robertson – Deputy PM, Minister of Finance, MP for Wellington Central – g.robertson@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=550&qid=645332>
*       Kelvin Davis – Minister of Māori Crown Relations Te Arawhiti, MP for Te Tai Tokerau – k.davis@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=551&qid=645332>
*       Dr Megan Woods – Minister of Housing, MP for Wigram – m.woods@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=552&qid=645332>
*       Chris Hipkins – Minister of Education, MP for Remutaka – c.hipkins@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=553&qid=645332>
*       Carmel Sepuloni – Minister for Social Development and Employment, MP for Kelston – c.sepuloni@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=554&qid=645332>
*       Andrew Little – Minister of Health – a.little@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=555&qid=645332>
*       David Parker – Attorney General – d.parker@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=556&qid=645332>
*       Nanaia Mahuta – Minister of Foreign Affaits, MP for Hauraki-Waikato – n.mahuta@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=557&qid=645332>
*       Poto Williams – Minister for Building and Construction, MP for Christchurch East – p.williams@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=558&qid=645332>
*       Damien O’Connor – Minister of Agriculture, MP for West Coast-Tasman – d.oconnor@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=559&qid=645332>
*       Stuart Nash – Minister for Economic and Regional Development, MP for Napier – s.nash@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=560&qid=645332>
*       Kris Faafoi – Minister for Broadcasting and Media – k.faafoi@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=561&qid=645332>
*       Peeni Henare – Minister of Defence, MP for Tāmaki Makaurau – p.henare@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=562&qid=645332>
*       Willie Jackson – Minister for Māori Development – w.jackson@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=563&qid=645332>
*       Jan Tinetti – Minister of Internal Affairs – j.tinetti@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=564&qid=645332>
*       Michael Wood – Minister of Transport, MP for Mt Roskill – m.wood@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=565&qid=645332>
*       Kiritapu Allan – Minister of Conservation, MP for East Coast – k.allan@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=566&qid=645332>
*       Dr David Clark – Minister of Digital Economy and Communications, MP for Dunedin – d.clark@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=567&qid=645332>
*       Dr Ayesha Verrall – Minister for Seniors – a.verrall@ministers.govt.nz <http://cbb.nonprofit.net.nz/civicrm/mailing/url?u=568&qid=645332>