Media release

12 February 2007

Radio coverage of Parliament boosted

Parliamentary debates on radio will be able to be heard by more people when the House of Representatives resumes sitting tomorrow.

Till recently, only 70% of the population could access Parliamentary broadcasts on Radio New Zealand’s AM network. However, additional funding in last year’s Budget enabled the Office of the Clerk to extend the broadcasting of Parliament to Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Southland.

This means 81% of the population can now access the Parliamentary broadcasts. Waikato listeners have been able to tune in on 1494am since December along with those in the Bay of Plenty on 657am. Southlanders had to wait till this month before they too could tune in on 1314am.

The Speaker, Hon Margaret Wilson, says the extension of radio broadcasts is one of several recent Government initiatives to make Parliamentary debates more accessible. Parliamentary broadcasts have been streamed live from the Radio New Zealand website www.radionz.co.nz since March 2006, and in November two companies were selected to televise Parliament.

‘A continuous live television feed of digital standard will be available from about the middle of the year, making parliamentary debate more accessible to the public and interested parties,’ Ms Wilson said.

‘The live debate will also be streamed on the parliamentary website www.parliament.nz as well as via the in-house television service operating in the Parliamentary complex.’

Ms Wilson said the broadcasting of Parliament, whether it be on radio or television, is valuable to democracy as it gives the public the ability to see how legislation is made and how the government of the day conducts itself.

ENDS

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