Broadcasting (was: The New Zealand economy)

Bill Rosenberg w.rosenberg at cantva.canterbury.ac.nz
Sat May 16 21:55:27 PDT 1998


Doug Henwood wrote:


> How do you keep a publicly sponsored broadcasting system from
> becoming a mouthpiece for the state? From what I know of the CBC,
> they manage, more or less, but how?

I don't know anything about the CBC (but would be interested to hear), but would think in general that such an organisation is always going to reflect a degree of orthodoxy. I would have thought that the pressures could be minimised by such measures as

- setting up an organisation to run it with statutory independence and clear public interest, non-commercial, non-partisan (or panpartisan!) objectives

- the organisation's governing board appointed or elected in some open way, with some requirements for balance of representation

- communications with government openly tabled

- a complaints authority with teeth

- perhaps some assured source of funding, such as a levy on commercial broadcasters!

At least such structures might make it clear when things were going wrong, and give some means to right them.

Our state-owned TV predecessors to the current worst of all worlds didn't doo too badly; neither does our public radio, so it's certainly possible. They did it I think largely as a result of the ethical standards of the broadcasters. The current situation indicates more than that is needed.

Bill Bill Rosenberg, w.rosenberg at csc.canterbury.ac.nz. Ph 64 3 3642801. Fax 64 3 3642332. Room 211, Ext 6801



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