Radio New Zealand International has received no additional funding in the 2010/11 NZ federal budget brought down in Wellington this week, despite requests for more money.

Funding remains at NZ$1.9m with RNZI required to deliver 16 hours of good quality reception daily to a minimum of 11 Pacific nations. RNZI has one 100kW analog transmitter installed in 1990 and one 100kW digital capable transmitter installed in 2005.

RNZI’s key program targets are French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tokelau, American Samoa, Samoa, Niue, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Tuvalu, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, with coverage expanding to Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Kiribati then the rest of the Asia Pacific region when possible.

A new rebroadcast target has been set for RNZI, which is expected to increase the number of Pacific radio stations relaying or rebroadcasting its news bulletins to 18 in the next year.