RNZ succeeds with Web Guidelines
20 June 2006
Radio New Zealand launched a new web site in October last year, and has used the Government Web Guidelines as one of the development cornerstones.
As a Crown Entity, Radio NZ is not legally required to follow the guidelines, but chose to go do so willingly. Website manager Richard Hulse said that the guidelines made good business sense. "They are primarily about providing access to content. Following those standards has allowed us to create a media rich site that can be used over dial-up, and is also accessible to people who use assistive technology such as screen readers."
"The use of style sheets for design control, as recommended in the guidelines, has also reduced on-going maintenance costs for us and made it easier for content editors to update the site," Mr Hulse said.
The site offers up-to-date news and sport as well as live audio streams of National Radio, Concert FM and Radio NZ International. Audio for many programmes is available 'on demand,' allowing people to listen to material they might have missed after it has been broadcast. On demand content is available for seven days after broadcast.
In February this year a podcasting trial was undertaken, and this has now been extended to 13 programmes. Last month, the broadcaster also started offering parliament's question time as a podcast.
These services are complemented by RSS feeds of news, sport and programme highlights.
The site now delivers over 600,000 page impressions per month, more than 10 times the number prior to re-launch, and traffic is growing at about 10% per month. Podcasts are growing at 10% a week.
The services offered on the site are popular with New Zealanders everywhere. Many expatriates have emailed to say that they appreciate being able to hear from home.
"Dear RNZ and the Saturday Morning Programme,
Thank you! I am so grateful to be able to listen to Kim Hill via the podcasts. My husband and I are New Zealanders living temporarily but long-term in Lithuania, and so miss Radio New Zealand and National Radio in particular.
The podcasts are an excellent way for us to be able to regularly listen to Kim Hill. Thank you for providing them. Please make the trial, not a trial but a permanent feature.
We can also thankfully now listen to other National Radio programmes via the internet. Thanks for providing this service also. Our shortwave radio just wasn't picking up RNZ, although occasionally but infrequently picked up the international service. In particular, we enjoy being able to access Nine to Noon by the internet. We were also blessed to be able to share in Anzac Day commemorations through your internet service. There were no such commemorations in Lithuania, naturally enough. Please feel free to provide some of the Nine to Noon show items as podcasts also!
For us, these free podcasts are a Godsend. Thanks again."
