Adams Amy: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeAdams Amy: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 19 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3426. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister of Broadcasting): I move That the Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill be now read a second time. Most members of this House would agree that Radio New Zealand is an iconic institution in this country. Since it first broadcast on our airwaves in 1925 our public radio broadcaster has delighted and informed audiences of all generations. But even iconic institutions must adapt to the modern age or else they will grow irrelevant and eventually fade. That is why this Government is progressing this bill to futureproof our public broadcaster for years to come.The bill proposes two key changes. The first puts in place a new charter that reflects Radio New Zealand’s role as a modern public broadcaster and the second makes Radio New Zealand technology-neutral so that it can reach audiences beyond its traditional base. Radio New Zealand receives Crown funding of more than $35 million a year and in order to thrive and get best value for money in the decades to come it must undergo a transformation from a traditional broadcaster to a multimedia organisation that connects with diverse audiences in a range of ways. The pressures of innovative technology and changing consumer demands are not new nor are they unique to Radio New Zealand but these are the forces that are driving real and transformative change for our national radio service.Recent research by New Zealand On Air revealed some interesting findings about the way in which New Zealanders are using and accessing content. It confirmed that the traditional media forms of linear and live radio still attract the largest audiences in New Zealand but online audiences are growing fast especially amongst the younger demographics. The research found that although New Zealanders are not necessarily abandoning one platform for another we are consuming more content overall from a variety of sources. Digital platforms are playing a bigger part in our lives. Radio New Zealand has already been responsive to these changes and although there has been a decline in listenership across traditional platforms over the last 12 months its online audience has grown significantly as its multimedia strategy is implemented.The number of unique visitors to the Radio New Zealand website is up 64 percent to 600000 a month. The youth-focused website The Wireless is using the internet and digital media to reach different audiences. Around 30000 unique users access this site a month—year-on-year growth of 71 percent. Requests for audio via platforms such as iTunes and apps have grown 90 percent in the last year. What this demonstrates is a strong demand for content online as well as the more traditional on air content. Although this shift to multiple platforms is encouraging there is more work to be done which is why this bill introduces a new and updated charter for Radio New Zealand.As outlined earlier the bill incorporates a revision of the charter to better reflect Radio New Zealand’s role as a modern multimedia organisation. Under section 7(4) of the Radio New Zealand Act Radio New Zealand’s charter must be reviewed by the House of Representatives at 5-yearly intervals. The new charter is incorporated in what will be a new section 8 of the Act as substituted by clause 5 of the bill. Under the revised charter Radio New Zealand is expected to foster a sense of national identity by contributing to tolerance and understanding and by reflecting and promoting ethnic cultural and artistic diversity and expression. It is to provide reliable independent and freely accessible news and information a particularly important role in times of crises.The charter lays out expectations around programming. Radio New Zealand content is to inform and entertain the people of New Zealand is to be challenging innovative and engaging and is to foster critical thought and inform wide-ranging debate. The content is to be predominantly and distinctively of New Zealand and to reflect New Zealand’s cultural identity including Māori language and culture. At the same time Radio New Zealand’s programming is expected to provide an awareness of the world and New Zealand’s place in it.The new charter also affirms Radio New Zealand’s international statutory obligation to provide an international service in both English and Pacific languages to radio stations in the South Pacific. The charter identifies the diverse forms of cultural expression Radio New Zealand should support including drama comedy literature and the performing arts. Its support of New Zealand music both in composition and performance will continue. Radio New Zealand is expected to provide programmes that balance special interest with those of wide appeal recognising the interests of all age groups.Finally having created this tremendously broad range of radio material Radio New Zealand is charged under the charter with preserving and archiving broadcasting material of historical interest. In 2012 its holdings were transferred to the care of the New Zealand Film Archive now known as Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision as part of the Government’s objective of rationalising the care of and access to New Zealand’s audiovisual heritage.The new charter contains a new obligation to take advantage of the most effective means of delivery including its website. The provision will help make Radio New Zealand technology-neutral so that it can reach audiences beyond the traditional listener at home to those using smartphones and other devices anywhere and anytime.As an early adopter of new media Radio New Zealand is now well established as a multi-platform broadcaster providing flexible listening options for its audiences. For example in the financial year 2013-14 3.5 million podcasts were downloaded. Regular users of the Radio New Zealand mobile app grew by almost 62 percent during this time. Radio New Zealand’s website also offers live streaming a text-based news service and audio on demand. So although Radio New Zealand has made good progress updating this legislation is important to enable Radio New Zealand to maximise the public value of content and help it to grow as a multi-platform broadcaster.I do want to signal that I have been asked by Radio New Zealand to undertake clarification at the Committee of the whole House stage to make clear that although Radio New Zealand services must remain commercial-free this does not prevent it from taking advantage of opportunities such as for example its recent presence on iHeartRadio which is of course in itself a commercial app that includes advertising or licensing its content for re-use by commercial providers. At the same time changes will also need to be made to the commencement date of the legislation. We will also look to make the research obligations on Radio New Zealand more flexible without reducing its accountability.In concluding the new charter affirms the breadth of programmes and services New Zealanders expect from their public radio—services that could not be delivered by a broadcasting business that is wholly reliant on commercial revenue. New Zealanders greatly value Radio New Zealand as one of our most respected and indispensable cultural institutions and this bill will futureproof it for generations to come. I look forward to further progressing it through the House.