[HCDX]: Re: RNZI Future in doubt again

[paulorm@xxxxxxxx (Paul Ormandy)]

>The following is from an article in the Christchurch Press  , NEW ZEALAND
>yesterday (Thursday 8th Jan 1998)

>I've retyped it - so any spelling errors etc are mine.

>Mark


>Quote -
>Headline   -   TERMINATION POSSIBLE FOR PACIFIC RADIO

>Wellington - Treasury has put up the idea of axing Radio New Zealands
>shortwave service to the Pacific Labour says.
>Radio New Zealand International is run by RNZ but is funded out of the
>Ministry of Foreign Affairs   and Trades budget at a cost of $1.2 million a
>year.
>Labours Pacific Islands Affairs spokesman Taito Phillip Field yesterday
>said Cabinet would later this month receive a paper recommending the
>service be axed.
>The Internation service was set up in 1990 after growing concerns that New
>Zealands voice in the Pacific was not being heard at a time when the much
>more heavily resourced Radio Australia and BBC World Service were
>increasing their audiences in the region.
>Even though RNZI had just one transmitter compared with Radio Australias 15
>RNZI had considerable respect in the Pacific both among Islanders and the
>expatriate community.
>It also served as a conduit for news that Island journalists were sometimes
>unable , because of restrictions by their governments , to run in their own
>media.
>In 1996 the Government commissioned a study of RNZI which has never been
>publicly released but a copy obtained under the Official Information Act
>said it was "fair to say that RNZI has not been at the forefront of the
>minds of those in the ministry".
>At the same time , the report quoted RNZ chief executive Sharon Crosbie as
>calling RNZI  " an orphan "
>The report said RNZI was under-resourced and there was an apparent lack of
>political will to provide more funds.
>Today Mr Field said that if RNZI was axed , Pacific Island communities in
>New Zealand would feel deceived.
>In 1994 , when Pacific Island language programmes were canned , there was a
>promise RNZI would not only be maintained but boosted , Mr Field said.
>"This current proposal flatly breaches that pledge"
>Mr Field said axing the service would leave Australia with the only voice
>across the Pacific.
>RNZI also provided a crucial cyclone warning service.
>Mr Field said he would seek a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Don
>McKinnon and the minister responsible for RNZ , Tony Ryall "to convey the
>sense of outrage that would be felt by the Pacific Island community to any
>proposal to axe RNZI"
>NZPA

>Unquote.

PS. If you wish to protest the above Treasury proposal, please send e-mails of
support to RNZI via e-mail

rnzi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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