TVNZ Cost Cutting

Labour have been arguing that TVNZ should not be run on commercial terms, and should not pay a dividend to the Crown. They argue this of course afte nine years of pocketing big dividends from TVNZ.

Anyway I found this Dom Post story on TVNZ cost cutting interesting:

Staff taking Corporate Cabs must, in future, get receipts and TVNZ must be reimbursed for non-work-related trips. Story-related mobile phone bills will be limited to $105 a month (including $25 for call-plan costs). Koru Club memberships will be “reviewed”. Magazine subscriptions will be cancelled or centralised in the news library.

Journalists wanting to entertain people must in future get permission first. Friday night staff drinks will be cut to once a month and non-story-related travel must be approved by Mr Flannery. Allowances, including those for clothing and grooming, will be audited.

So Labour is arguing there should be less money for hospitals and schools (which the dividend funds) so that TVNZ can continue with weekly staff drinks, unlimited mobile phone calls, non work related taxi trips, unlimited entertaiment budgets and no auditing of allowances?