Published on line by the National Business Review 31 August 2007

A survey of New Zealanders' attitudes to public broadcasting shows that its contributions are valued highly and may be used to support the current charter arrangements and taxpayer funding.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage commissioned the project through Wellington research agency Synovate and it includes a telephone survey of 500 New Zealanders which has a margin of error of ±4.4%.

Public broadcasters were identified as Television New Zealand, Maori TV, Radio New Zealand and NiuFM (which includes 531PI and other radio stations for Pacific Island groups).

The two radio networks and Maori TV are publicly owned and publicly funded and have charter obligations, but TVNZ is only in part a public broadcaster. While it has charter obligations, it is also a commercial broadcaster and its size and range of programming dwarf all the others.

The survey sought to exclude private and community broadcasters to "measure the collective contribution from the public broadcasters," but there are question marks over what was actually measured.

In essence what did those who responded understand by the term "public broadcaster'? Did it include TV3, and radio networks like NewsTalkZB and Radio Live, all of which have a strong news and current affairs focus, and did it extend to more entertainment oriented formats like Hauraki, the Breeze, and C4?

Synovate Account Director Matt Benson agreed that this was an important issue, but he said that both the Ministry and the agency had "been at great pains to ensure the public understood what was being asked."

He said that the agency extensively pre tested the questionnaire and he and the Ministry were satisfied that the public understood what the survey was asking about.

The findings of the survey overwhelmingly endorse public broadcasting. The public agree (89% agree, and 31% strongly agree) that public broadcasting contributes to the "overall cultural, democratic and social value of New Zealand."

Between 84% and 90% believe the overall cultural, democratic and social value of New Zealand would decline without public broadcasting.

Much of the survey seems to show that New Zealanders like what they currently get, although the survey did not ask about the range of programmes, their quality, frequency, or likeability.

Instead it asked whether "public broadcasting records and presents important New Zealand and overseas events as they happen.' 99% of the public thought this was important and 91% agreed that public broadcasting "contributed" to this outcome.

There were almost identically high levels of agreement with statements about "provides informative news and current affairs", 'presents different viewpoints', "encourages informed discussion and debate', and only slightly lower levels of agreement on 'educates a range of people', 'promotes our culture and way of life', and "entertains New Zealanders."

To improve public perceptions of public broadcasting's contribution, the agency's report to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage recommends that "government policy and public broadcasters should focus on broadcasters'' contributions to these outcomes.

The report goes on to say that "he Ministry could leverage the value of public broadcasting's contribution."