Pay-TV: What’s the point in still owning TVNZ?

Responding to reports that TVNZ is set to start charging for some content, including sports subscriptions and pay-TV, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“TVNZ has already shut down what were arguably its only two hard-hitting current affairs and investigative journalism shows. Trust in its news reporting is plummeting, and now they want to start charging people for their content. What’s the point in still owning TVNZ?

“The TVNZ model no longer works in today’s rapidly changing media landscape, where people can access content from almost anywhere in the world at the click of a button. The current model offers very little public benefit, while taxpayers are left to cover poor performance with no real incentive for the shareholding Ministers to push TVNZ to turn a profit.

“TVNZ is already competing with the likes of Netflix and Amazon, and people are voting with their feet. More and more New Zealanders are choosing to pay for better content elsewhere rather than stick with TVNZ’s declining offerings, despite it being free.

“It’s time for the Government to make the call and sell TVNZ while it’s still worth something. Perhaps a commercial operator can turn it into something people actually want to watch.”