Damien Venuto’s remarkably shallow political spectrum highlights private medias bias against RNZ/TVNZ merger

I actually laughed out loud when Damien Venuto was ‘exploring’ the ‘range’ of media responses to the RNZ/TVNZ merger…

TVNZ-RNZ merger: Simon Power’s message to Government, advertisers as uncertainty hangs over state broadcaster

TVNZ boss Simon Power is a man in limbo, existing between the world that was and the foggy landscape ahead.

In his first – and ostensibly last – showcase address today for the organisation that will soon be formerly known as TVNZ, Power addressed that uncertainty that everyone has been speculating about for months.

The showcase event has always been seen as TVNZ’s opportunity to hype up the advertising community with a steady announcement of new shows – and there was some of that.

But there was no escaping the uncertainty that hangs heavy over everything TVNZ plans to do.

What will the advertising mix even look like when TVNZ and RNZ are merged into a single media beast? How much room will there be for the advertisers that have long propped up public broadcasting in this country? And how much of this will come to fruition given the legislation hasn’t even been finalised yet?

From the outset, Power made it clear that he had two audiences in the room: advertisers and the Government.

…Private media who are addicted to NZ on Air handouts see that as their money being handed over to the new RNZ/TVNZ merger, but the new public broadcasting behemoth will be using much of that money to contract other media players to create contact and share it so they will need to pitch to TVZN/RNZ rather than NZ on Air.

That hasn’t stopped the private media all whining and complaining and warning the end of media is coming.

To ‘prove’ how universal that criticism against the merger is, Damien gives us the full expanse of his vision…

Warnings of unintended consequences with the media changes aren’t limited to TVNZ boss Simon Power.

Stuff CEO Sinead Boucher has warned MPs that the combined entity could have too much bargaining power when it came to securing staff.

“In some cases, the salary offers have been 30 per cent above what we have been paying and what we are paying is very much the market rate – not low paying, so we are already starting to feel the effects of it and the entity is not even formed,” she said.

NZME managing editor Shayne Currie has argued that the merger could have “distortionary effects” on commercial players in the market and that the Government needs to assess the impact these might have.

MediaWorks CEO Cam Wallace also weighed in, saying the dual-funding model would give the entity the best of both worlds and potentially create circumstances allowing what would be the country’s biggest media provider to offer “predatory pricing” for advertising.

And Spinoff founder Duncan Greive worries that ANZPM could have too much power when it comes to commissioning new shows.

These criticisms span the political spectrum and come from those who have first-hand experience in what it takes to run a media organisation in New Zealand.

…wait, WHAT?

The political spectrum of what? Stuff, NZME, Mediaworks and The Spinoff? 4 media organisations who all take money from NZ on Air and who all have vested interests in outcome?

How is that the full political spectrum? That the full spectrum of people who get money from NZ on Air!

TVNZ is a crass ratings chaser who puts on Fuck Boy Island, we need a RNZ merger to  take over public broadcasting editorially and start using our immense media infrastructure to actually lift its game and become a trusted news source again.

We have seen what happens when people fall down rabbit holes over Covid, the RNZ/TVNZ merger is a solution to disinformation and the fact Google and Facebook are destroying their advertising model.

All the private media who will lose NZ on Air funding don’t want that for very obvious reasons.

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