GORDON LIGHTFOOT | National
COST CUTTING
After a tense 1 o’clock all staff meeting today, employees at TVNZ were somewhat relieved to survive another day at the struggling station.
While many expected to hear of proposed job cuts, what they heard instead was that their office instant coffee brand was being downgraded to save money.
The already affordable Gregg’s “Original Blend Red Ribbon Roast” has officially been struck from the office supplies order sheet, replaced with a Pams alternative from Pak n Save.
It would appear that this change perhaps would not be enough to fill TVNZ’s $30m fiscal hole, despite Pams being one dollar cheaper than Gregg’s per 100g.
The morning beverage reshuffle was part of a suite of changes announced, including a call for staff to make their own savings proposals, and the complete shutdown of the 1News website.
TVNZ Web admin Sarah Fuller believes winding up the website that she spends all her time on could somehow be a good thing for her in the long run.
“They’ve got plans to expand the TVNZ + app so I’ll definitely be moving over to that team. I’ve got lots of ideas for that, so it’s quite exciting,” she said naively.
“It’s a shame about the coffee though.”
Dave Adler from the ad sales team took time out from scrolling Trademe Jobs to speak to reporters.
“I think I’ve got very transferrable skills, with my strengths being in sales. Believe it or not, I’ve been selling ad space to businesses on a website no one even visits,” he said, referencing the soon to be gone 1News.co.nz.
“It would probably be easier to sell ice to eskimos!”
TVNZ’s Wellington office would not comment on how the switch to Pam’s Cafe Roast would impact the Wellington hospitality industry.
More to come.
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