[1] On 8 February 2023, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who succeeded Jacinda Ardern earlier in January 2023, announced that the proposed media entity and the merger of RNZ and TVNZ would be scrapped.
[1] In March 2021, the Government also commissioned an expert group to produce a business case exploring the viability of merging the two media organisations, which was released on 26 August 2021.
The expert group supported the Government's merger proposal to create a new non-profit public media entity with a clear mandate and purpose.
The Government also allocated NZ$370m over a period of four years in operating expenditure and $306m in capital funding from the 2022 New Zealand budget to supporting the new public media entity.
The opposition National and ACT parties opposed the bill, claiming that it would lead to less diversity within the New Zealand media landscape and also questioned its independence from the Government.
[13][12] In addition, NZME editor Shayne Currie and MediaWorks CEO Cam Wallace called for a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the proposed media entity.
[13] Prior to the cancellation of the public media merger in February 2023, the Government had initially set 1 March as a deadline for passing the Bill into law, with the new entity becoming fully operational in July 2023.
[2] In late September 2022, Broadcasting Minister Jackson defended plans to merge RNZ and TVNZ on the grounds that the public no longer trusted the media.
[16] On 22 October, Lee confirmed that the National Party would reverse the Government's proposed merger of RNZ and TVNZ on the grounds that it lacked widespread support and could reduce public trust in the media.
In addition, ACT's associate finance spokesman Damien Smith opposed the RNZ-TVNZ merger process on the grounds that the public was preoccupied with the "cost of living crisis" caused by rising inflation.
Hauiti argued that certain minorities including Māori, Pasifika and 'tāngata whaikaha' (people with disabilities) were not getting adequate coverage within the current media environment.
[22] In November 2022, a public opinion poll conducted by the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union and Curia found 22% supported the RNZ/TVNZ merger, 54% opposed merging the two state broadcasters, and 24% were unsure.
[25] On 8 February 2023, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced that the merger of TVNZ and RNZ would "stop entirely" due to the Government shifting its focus to "cost of living issues."