Radio NZ 8 year funding freeze
Received this today from team@actionstation.org.nz
We won! You were amongst the 32,337 who demanded a thaw of Radio New Zealand’s funding, today the melt has begun.
It's just over a month since we delivered our petition to Parliament, and today the Government responded with a $2.85m funding boost in the budget announced earlier this afternoon! 1
People power has prevailed in this case. The quality independent journalism that RNZ delivers is crucial to maintain our democracy. The Government has finally done something to recognise this.
But, it doesn’t go as far as we’d hoped. Dr Peter Thompson, from the Coalition for Better Broadcasting recently calculated that RNZ is now underfunded by $14m a year. 2
When you compare this boost to the $60 million per year the Government has committed to attracting Hollywood Producers, it does make you wonder about priorities. 3
While we celebrate the $2.85m boost there’s still much more work to do.
References:
1. Budget 2017 at a glance, RNZ, 25 May 2017
2. RNZ:'Every ice age ends', Newsroom, 23 May 2017
3. Hunt for the Funding-people, Māori TV, 23 May 2017
snip
You may remember the TV news item 12 April 2017 where the 32,000 signature petition was presented to opposition MPs, in a big block of ice. The government declined to accept it.
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The small $2.85m funding boost, will soon be used up to pay the rent on the Auckland building they no longer own. During the eight year funding freeze, the Government said they had to sell it.
The Budget is the usual ‘minimum change, maximum headline’ stunt. Remember, the finance minister was their election campaign manager - he knows all these techniques.
RNZ listenership has risen dramatically. See their Annual Report:
www.radionz.co.nz...
So the people like it, even if the Govt doesn't.
www.facebook.com...
This is worth six minutes of your time: "The Fix Is In"
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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32.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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67.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Something we all seem to have forgotten
An Obituary to Common Sense printed in the London Times
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated valuable lessons like:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- And maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge)
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death;
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason
He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights,
- I Want It Now,
- Someone Else Is To Blame,
- I'm A Victim,
- Pay me for Doing Nothing
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing…
This is a modified version of a text that is originally attributed to Lori Borgman. However, it is more true today than it was when first written. It is not the version I remember, but it still gets the point across. Enjoy and remember.
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