Transcript
The former head of the TBC says the end of a talkback show means people are missing out on opportunities to discuss issues leading up to the November 16 election.
The country's largest broadcaster and Prime Minister Pohiva have had some angry exchanges this year, highlighted by the PM calling the broadcaster 'an enemy of government'.
Shortly after that comment Nanise Fifita was sacked as general manager on a technicality.
And last month two of the TBC's most senior journalists were moved out of the newsroom into sales, and public programming has been cut.
Revenue losses and unpopular content are the reasons given for the changes.
But Ms Fifita says the media should be providing a platform for healthy discussion as well as educating and informing.
"Seeing what is happening now. The two most experienced reporters, Laumanu and Viola, have been moved to a non-news section and I have asked why do you have to drop that very popular live talkback programme. That is very sad. We need healthy discussions through the media."
The chair of the Press Council Pesi Fonua agrees the changes have impacted election coverage.
"The handling of news coverage on the station is kind of different and secondly to that you are not really sure now about how they are handling candidates who are trying to broadcast campaigning from the station itself and one of the other FM stations which is popular, the owner of that is also running for the election so there is a little bit of a strange feeling going on. So with regard to the media and broadcasting, I think it is a bit quieter than normal."
While he does notice differences in coverage Mr Fonua says the candidates seem to be getting their message across in other ways.
"I think what has taken over from the radio, there has been a lot of parades. All these candidates driving around in vehicles with a whole group, more than usual, so I think they are taking over from the radio station."
Kalafi Moala runs the Taimi Media Network and believes the current campaign is unique.
"Many of the candidates are canvassing house to house, approaching people directly. One thing that I have noticed which is a major difference with this election compared to previous elections. Previous elections, people were talking about issues that are national. In this election, people are focussing in on their constituency, on their districts."
Both Pesi Fonua and Kalafi Moala say smaller, private media is operating as usual.
Although Mr Moala acknowledges the media has become more partisan.
"There has been definitely a division in media, which is not something new, it is something that has been building up over the years where media has become partisan in the sense that there are those media that are supportive of certain parties and certain groupings of politicians and then those that are opposed to it."
Mr Moala says in the past the TBC was the only media viewed as neutral by the public.
It remains to be seen whether that neutrality will be impacted by the recent changes.
