Goldsmith says media council will cope with BSA axing

Minister for Media and Communications Paul Goldsmith says he is not concerned about the dismantling of the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) and potentially overloading the New Zealand Media Council (NZMC) with complaints.

“I’m sure they’ll be able to cope.”

Goldsmith says the BSA complaint system is out of date.

“[It] targets one little slice of the broadcasting area and doesn't make sense in the modern realm.

“It’s an opportunity for the professional journalist sector to have some self-regulation and keep their standards up.”

Under current rules membership to the Media Council is voluntary.

Goldsmith says news media companies can “decide if they want to be involved and if they don’t they’ll have to explain to their listeners why not”.