Sell RNZ While It Still Has Listeners - Wellington-Focused Service Has Lost Touch

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for RNZ to be privatised, with the reported audience numbers declining sharply and its Wellington-centric content failing to resonate across the country.

A recent report reveals:

• Fewer than 467,700 cumulative listeners remain, down from 700,000 in 2020
• Wellington-centric content alienates audiences in other regions, with many feeling disconnected from RNZ’s urban, political, and cultural focus

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:

“RNZ’s audience is falling and it is falling fast. The time has come to sell RNZ while it still has value, rather than continue to throw taxpayer money at a service that can’t connect with the wider public.”

“RNZ’s audience is falling and it is falling fast. The time has come to sell RNZ while it still has value, rather than continue to throw taxpayer money at a service that can’t connect with the wider public.”

“Wellington-centric programming with Red Radio’s signature political slant is alienating listeners across the country. RNZ’s around $62 million taxpayer funding is being spent without the public getting the return on investment it deserves.”

“If RNZ was a private entity, it would be forced to adapt or fail. Instead, the public is being asked to fund an increasingly irrelevant broadcaster in an already competitive market.”

“RNZ already sees itself internally as a sunset organisation. While it still has an audience left, sell it and reinvest taxpayer funds in services that actually serve the public rather than just a Wellington elite.”