The RNZ-TVNZ merger has been scrapped.
The Government has on Wednesday confirmed all work on the planned public media entity will stop.
Among other policies purged on Wednesday, plans for a social insurance scheme, a biofuels mandate and hate speech legislation are all on the scrap heap.
In addition, the Prime Minister has confirmed the minimum wage will be lifted by $1.50 per hour on April 1st, to match inflation.
Further details of the dumped merger are due to be announced during Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ post-cabinet press conference due around 3:00 pm on Wednesday afternoon.
The proposal was to merge the resources of RNZ & TVNZ into Aotearoa, New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM).
The merger was tabled by former broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi in February 2022 as a way to address declining audience numbers.
When announced, the idea was wildly unpopular with commercial media and independent production houses fearing it would give the combined entity too much dominance with others criticising the cost of the venture before the entities had even begun to merge.
Shortly after Te Ao Māori News reported the news, National MP Judith Collins tweeted about the news saying 'well done' and tagged Fellow MP Melissa Lee who is the National Party's Broadcasting and Media spokesperson.
