TVNZ has said they need to save $30 million. Photo: RNZ / Michelle Tiang
Workers at TVNZ worry an upcoming "change process" announced to staff on Thursday could lead to further job losses.
The state-owned broadcaster cancelled a number of news and current affairs shows earlier this year as a cost-saving measure.
Management at TVNZ had now said the company needed to increase their annual earnings by $30 million, by either increasing revenue or reducing costs, E tū union's negotiation specialist Michael Wood said.
A TVNZ spokesperson said they had been transparent with their staff and publicly that they needed to deliver $30m in savings as the company worked towards its Digital+ 2030 strategy.
"At this stage, we're seeking ideas from our people for strategic changes we can make across TVNZ so we can continue to deliver for New Zealand audiences in an efficient and cost-effective way."
The spokesperson said it was not a proposal and no decisions had been made.
"In this challenging media landscape, we must consider all options to ensure TVNZ is a sustainable media business.
"We don't have the answers yet and it's something we will work through as a business with our people over the coming months."
The news demonstrated a "worrying trend" at TVNZ, Wood said.
"E tū members at TVNZ and across media have been campaigning hard to 'Save our Stories' so that New Zealanders continue to have access to media that informs and holds power to account.
"As such we are concerned that TVNZ is looking into further significant changes that could lead to even larger cuts than we have already seen."
Wood said there was some good news, as union members had already successfully campaigned on the issue in Employment Court and there was now a proper process in place to have union members at the table and involved in discussions about possible changes at a much earlier stage.
"An ongoing move towards a digital future at TVNZ is a reality, however we will fight hard to ensure that as this change happens, TVNZ fulfils its obligations to New Zealanders by ensuring that it produces high quality content, by skilled and experienced media workers.
"TVNZ, and the government as the sole shareholder, cannot and must not use this process to walk away from news and current affairs, and telling the stories that matter to New Zealand."
There was a need for "rapid" government intervention to save the media landscape, Wood said.
"Decent journalism is an absolute necessity in a well-functioning democracy. That's why TVNZ needs to be supported as a public broadcaster.
"It makes no sense to allow such a crucial tool for information and accountability to gradually wither away as the traditional commercial model for media becomes less financially sustainable in the digital age."
Wood said everyone should be "gravely concerned" about a future where "purely commercial interests" dictate the way New Zealand conducts public disclosure.