An independent review by former RNZ news boss Richard Sutherland has exposed deep-seated cultural and strategic issues at RNZ National, blaming “blame-shifting” and “low ambition” for its steady ratings decline to a five-year low of 467,700 listeners.
Once the leader in cumulative audience ratings, the station has now fallen to 8th, according to fellow legacy media outlet NZ Herald (paywalled).
The report recommends auditing and potentially replacing presenters who don’t connect with its target audience of 50–69-year-olds, making at least one high-profile hire, and fully relocating flagship programme Morning Report to Auckland to counter a perceived Wellington bias at the state-funded legacy mainstream media outlet.
It also calls for a “cultural reset”, stronger live broadcasting focus, and more office-based collaboration.
While RNZ has accepted some proposals, such as appointing a chief audio officer and increasing Auckland presence, it has resisted fully moving Morning Report, stressing the need for nationwide resources. The review warns that without decisive change, RNZ National risks losing more credibility, influence, and funding.
Mr Sutherland, don’t act like the muppet you don’t want to be.
“An independent review by former RNZ news boss Richard Sutherland…WTH?
“has exposed deep-seated cultural and strategic issues at RNZ National…WTH?
“blaming “blame-shifting” and “low ambition” for its steady ratings decline…WTH?
Richie, get a grip of yerself, will ya?
The deep-seated issue with state media is corruption and sphincter mentality.
Now, why is RNZ singled out among the general decline of MSM? I think Radio NZ is one of the least corrupt/woke/lying state-funded legacy mainstream media outlets. Why has Richie got his knickers in a twist? RNZ not dancing to his music? Bit bitter?
You can’t see your own blinkers from your polarising world view.
Rearranging deck chairs on the titanic. Just close it down. It’s too woke, they report on BS like “climate change”. It’s run by marxists, and doesn’t report important stories and the rest of it is one sided propaganda. Can’t be saved defund it now.
Shut down RNZ but keep Concert, minus the propaganda news blasts.
Agree, concert fm is the only thing in the RNZ stable worth listening to, which has improved markedly in recent years. And with “real music.” 🌟🎶🎶✔️
As for the rest… bin it.!
Seems a weird operating model. Splash out over $60 million of taxpayers’ money per year on a tired radio station targeting 50 to 69 year olds. Maybe time to put both RNZ and TVNZ to permanent sleep.
Please visualize the situation you espouse.
Surely cut the woke elements, but keep RNZ as a -dare I say it- beacon of Kiwiana and Godzone spirit. In a real sense, once a country’s calendar.
Ther death throws of one of the many doomed dinosaurs.
Bye bye
Taxpayers should not be funding narrative pushing fake news. RNZ has no balance and obvious push narratives and bias rather just publish the facts. They should not be publishing “experts” and “things we need to know”. Just publish the facts, and bugger off.
Here are some bold words for you lot, “impartial”, “investigative” “journalism”. Hope that helps.
What ever the cause of reduced followship; it definitely isn’t because people have realized state funded media is propaganda.
Young people go to social media, which is what all the coming net control is all about.
RNZ is finished.
As it turned out nobody is all that interested in brainless woke/communist propaganda.
Oh well…
RNZ’s ‘Checkpoint’ won’t read out e-mails on subject matter that is sent to them unless it’s polarised and woke.
Lisa Owen was especially obnoxious, disruptive and rude to Winston Peters yesterday with her constant interruptions over the Labour Party’s botched ferry-gate, made worse and more expensive by National cancelling the order on a ship that is too long to make sharp turns into the sound.
I wonder if the cancellation fee paid to the ship builder in Korea was funneled back into the pockets of politicians in both countries, with the promise to the ship builder that there would be another revised order coming after National got into government, but normally an order is modified, NOT cancelled!
It’s too bad that RNZ just can’t be removed from Freeview’s channel 50, and a format similar to the old analog-signal Teletext can’t be brought back with flight schedules, weather, traffic reports, farm reports with agricultural conditions and the daily report from Parliament in text form .
Radio Aotearoa on channel 71 needs to have it’s volume boosted from the broadcasting end, and play music from the 40’s, thru to the 90’s with little disruption. (40’s at four o’clock, 50’s at five, etc.)