RNZ achieves audience goals three years early

A new survey has found RNZ has achieved its audience goals three years early, with the results showing 80% of New Zealanders aged 18-plus engage with its content a month.

RNZ Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief Paul Thompson said reaching 80% of New Zealanders was considered an ambitious goal and RNZ had given itself till 2027 to achieve it.

“It really demonstrates our evolution as a cornerstone provider for media content that we’ve reached our goal three years early. We now share our content with more than 65 different media outlets, and this shows the vital role a public media organisation like RNZ can play to support others, especially in the current difficult climate for media.”

Other results from RNZ’s survey of audiences show over three quarters of New Zealanders (76%) believe it’s important for Aotearoa to have a public broadcaster (up from 69% in 2023), and trust in RNZ remains steady at 49% (same as the last survey in August 2024 and up from 44% in 2023).*

As well as getting its content to where New Zealanders are, RNZ had been focused on its digital transformation and that had seen strong audience growth and increasing engagement.

More than 1.42 million New Zealanders visited rnz.co.nz last month (up from 973,000 in October 2023) and the time spent on the website has increased to over 40 minutes, more than double last year’s average engagement. RNZ was also increasing its use of video on social media and early results are promising with monthly video views up 159% on 2023, driven by coverage of local events like The Big Sing with one video from that competition reaching almost one million Facebook users.

Thompson said it was important for RNZ to remain relevant and adapt to different ways of accessing news and entertainment.

“We introduced a new podcast section and audio player in September that makes it easier than ever to access our impressive back catalogue of award-winning podcasts. We are also covering a more diverse range of stories, and I think that’s really resonating with audiences.”

Results in live radio, measured through the GfK Commercial Radio Survey show little change in market share with RNZ’s combined share (RNZ National and RNZ Concert) for Survey 3 2024 at 11.6% compared to 11.7% from the last survey.

RNZ National’s audience 10+ is 489,600 in a typical week (494,500 in the last survey).

RNZ Concert’s audience 10+ is 156,000 in a typical week (178,200 in the last survey).  

Thompson said strengthening live radio performance remained a priority, and the survey results showed the core audience was listening for longer with an increase of average time spent listening for both RNZ National (+13mins) and RNZ Concert (+41 mins). There was also audience growth for both Morning Report and Saturday Morning and in the crucial Auckland market.

“I’ve spoken before about the importance of the Auckland market for RNZ in terms of reaching audiences and providing the range of content that appeals to Auckland’s diverse population and it’s really heartening to see changes that we’ve made to programming, including the introduction of a new look Saturday Morning programme, are beginning to have an impact.”

Morning Report

The summer edition of Morning Report will kick off on Monday 6 January with talented up-and-comer Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira (Ngāti Hine, Te Aupōuri, Te Atiawa) presenting the first week of a shortened Morning Report (7-8am).

Journalist and broadcaster Paddy Gower will be joined by award-winning journalist Alexa Cook who returned to RNZ in 2024 as our Hawke’s Bay Tairawhiti Regional Reporter to present Morning Report from Monday 13 January until usual programing resumes on Monday 27 January (7-9am).

RNZ Chief News Officer Mark Stevens said the pairing of Gower and Cook was a formidable one.

“Yes, it’s summer, but these two won’t be on holiday and taking it easy. They’ll be ensuring New Zealanders are still kept informed while they’re at the beach.”

Gower, who first took to the airwaves hosting a one-off King’s Birthday special and has since filled in for Kathryn Ryan on Nine To Noon, says he loved the mahi of radio and is excited to keep his hand in, alongside his other work commitments.

“It will be awesome to have another stint on RNZ. I will help give Kiwis all the information they need to get through summer and bring in a big 2025.”

Cook, who filled in on Morning Report during the US election, has worked in radio both here and in the UK and spent four years as a senior news reporter for Newshub, says she was looking forward to working with Gower again.

“It’s never a dull moment with Paddy and I know he shares my passion for storytelling and giving a voice to those that don’t have one.”

Further details on the summer programming schedule will be released tomorrow (Wednesday 27 November).

*Verian (formerly Kantar Public) Value Indices survey was conducted between 31 October and 13 November 2024

** Source: GfK Radio Audience Measurements, All Radio Stations, Total New Zealand – RNZ – Survey 3/2024, All 10+, Mon-Sun 12mn-12mn, Cume and Share %. Survey 3 2024 is conducted between 11 August -2 November. https://www.rba.co.nz/surveys-research

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