As you will all know, the public media sector is undergoing its most radical change in more than three decades.
On 7 September we were formally advised that from the 2023/24 year $84.806m per year will be reallocated from NZ On Air to the new public media entity, ANZPM. This now requires a very rapid reframing of how NZ On Air can best complement the work of the new ANZPM, to the benefit of NZ audiences and the wider media sector.
NZ On Air is working hard to create a new strategy that will best utilise a more limited budget to support public media for audiences using a range of platforms.
Our priority is on ensuring we can give the sector certainty about funding opportunities beyond July 2023 as soon as possible. In the interim the Board has taken a new position on TVNZ and RNZ funding applications in light of the Minister’s letter. It has devised a transitional approach, and this has been applied as of this week to funding decisions made by the Board.
In media releases announcing funding from this round you will see the following note :
Funding marked with an asterisk is for content intended for broadcast on TVNZ or RNZ. Assuming the legislation establishing the new ANZPM passes, NZ On Air funding would end at 30 June 2023. This means these funding amounts may be subject to change. (Funding of $1m or less is unaffected in this round for timing reasons.)
What this is intended to do is to ensure that we are acting in line with Government’s stated intention that ANZPM is constrained from accessing NZ On Air funding, and also to ensure as much funding as possible is available for content on other platforms.
Note : Projects approved by our Staff Investment Committee (for amounts $1m or less) are not affected in this round, but the same rule will apply for all TVNZ and RNZ projects from next round. The reason for this is simple – the Staff Investment Committee decisions were made on 5 September and we did not receive confirmation of the new funding arrangements for 2023/24 until 7 September.
Our next funding round is closing next Thursday 29 Sept. Applications for content that is intended for delivery via TVNZ or RNZ as primary platforms should still be submitted as planned by the deadline. Our team will be in touch with impacted applicants directly, following the closing of the round to discuss next steps, which may require a revised budget.
We will continue to collaborate with TVNZ and RNZ to work towards a smooth transition. Rest assured the Board and staff of NZ On Air want to achieve the very best and fairest outcome for our content creators and platforms, and ultimately their audiences.
We plan to come back to you as soon as possible with more details on changes to our future funding strategy.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr Ruth Harley