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Public broadcaster · New Zealand

RNZ

Radio New Zealand, which describes itself as a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, running RNZ National, RNZ Concert, the AM network and RNZ Pacific, and reporting 586,100 weekly listeners in GfK Survey 1/2026.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
Legal formA Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, in RNZ's own words [1]
Governing instrumentThe Radio New Zealand Charter, which RNZ says sets out its operating principles [1]
NetworksRNZ National, RNZ Concert and the AM network, which relays parliamentary proceedings [1]
Overseas serviceRNZ Pacific, formerly Radio New Zealand International [1]
FundingRNZ National and Concert from NZ On Air; RNZ Pacific from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage [1]
Weekly audience586,100 combined; RNZ National 492,900 and RNZ Concert 160,300, GfK Survey 1/2026, 8 February to 2 May 2026 [3]
Radio currencyGfK Radio Audience Measurement, the survey run for commercial radio [4]

What is RNZ?

RNZ's own About page states that "RNZ (Radio New Zealand) is New Zealand's independent public service multimedia organisation and is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995", and that it operates in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter, "which sets out our operating principles".[1] That is the organisation's description of itself and of the instrument it says governs it.

The same page sets out the services: three nationwide networks — RNZ National, RNZ Concert and the AM network, which relays parliamentary proceedings — together with RNZ Pacific, "formerly Radio New Zealand International or RNZI", described as "our overseas shortwave service, broadcasting to the South Pacific and beyond", and Radio New Zealand News. On funding, RNZ states that "RNZ National and Concert are funded by New Zealand On Air and RNZ Pacific is funded by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage".[1]

What does RNZ cover?

RNZ's output is general news, current affairs and music rather than a sport-first schedule: the About page lists current affairs, podcasts, documentaries and children's stories on RNZ National, a fine-music network in RNZ Concert, a parliamentary relay on the AM network and a Pacific shortwave service.[1]

Its sport reporting reaches the record in two ways that matter for a sports media list. It reports on sport as news — its political desk carried the delivery to Parliament on 2 June 2022 of the petition to change the country's official name to Aotearoa, a question that runs through national team and competition naming.[5] And it reports on the media industry itself, including ownership: its business desk carried the change in Stuff's shareholding on 18 March 2025.[6]

How large is RNZ's audience?

RNZ's media release of 26 May 2026 reports GfK Radio Audience Measurement Survey 1/2026, covering 8 February to 2 May 2026. It gives a combined RNZ weekly audience of 586,100, up 1,800 on November 2025; RNZ National at 492,900 listeners aged 10 and over, down from 500,300, with a share of 10% against 10.4%; and RNZ Concert at 160,300, up from 154,100, with a share of 3.4% against 3.2%. RNZ's chief audio officer Pip Keane is quoted as saying "the results showed RNZ's radio audience is stable with Nine to Noon, Midday Report, and Checkpoint growing survey-on-survey".[3]

RNZ's audience research page carries the earlier readings on the same currency, including RNZ National at "489,600 in a typical week" and RNZ Concert at "156,000 in a typical week" in GfK Survey 3 2024, covering "11 August - 2 November" 2024, and a separate multi-platform figure of "77% of New Zealanders 18-plus" accessing RNZ content monthly as at August 2024. The multi-platform figure is not on the same basis as the weekly radio figures and is not comparable with them.[2]

The currency itself is described by the Radio Broadcasters Association: "GfK has conducted the Radio Audience Measurement in New Zealand for commercial radio", year-round, with "an optimal blend of paper and electronic diaries", about 20% placed via research panels on demographic quotas and the remainder door to door, annual samples above 14,000 people aged 10 and over, and results released on 21 May, 20 August and 26 November in 2026.[4]

Since when has RNZ existed?

RNZ dates its own legal form to the Radio New Zealand Act 1995.[1] That is the date of the statute under which the Crown entity exists. It is not a date of first broadcast for any of the networks, and no such date could be retrieved from a primary source for this page.

One renaming is documented on the same page: the overseas service is "RNZ Pacific (formerly Radio New Zealand International or RNZI)". A renaming is not a founding, and RNZ gives no date for it.[1]

Why does RNZ matter in New Zealand's sport?

Because it is the non-commercial national audio service, funded on RNZ's own account by NZ On Air and, for the Pacific service, by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and it is measured on the same GfK currency as the commercial networks, which makes its weekly figures directly comparable with theirs.[1][4]

It is also the outlet through which much of what is known about the New Zealand media market reaches the record, including the ownership change at Stuff reported on 18 March 2025 and the Aotearoa naming petition of 2 June 2022.[6][5] New Zealand and broadcast rights carry the wider picture.

References

  1. RNZ — About RNZ: legal form, the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, the Charter, the networks and the funding statement. Accessed 2026-09-20.
  2. RNZ — Audience Research: GfK Survey 3 2024 figures for RNZ National and RNZ Concert, and the August 2024 multi-platform figure. Accessed 2026-09-20.
  3. RNZ — media release, RNZ radio audiences stable, 26 May 2026, reporting GfK Radio Audience Measurement Survey 1/2026 for 8 February to 2 May 2026. Accessed 2026-09-20.
  4. Radio Broadcasters Association — Surveys and Research: the GfK Radio Audience Measurement survey, its method, sample and 2026 release dates. Accessed 2026-09-20.
  5. RNZ — Petition to officially name country Aotearoa delivered to Parliament, 2 June 2022. Accessed 2026-09-20.
  6. RNZ — Stuff owner becomes sole holder of one million shares, 18 March 2025. Accessed 2026-09-20.