John Campbell takes you behind the scenes at all new Checkpoint, at Radio NZ.

Costs at Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint have jumped almost $90,000 to $728,249 since it went multimedia and hired high-profile broadcaster John Campbell.

RNZ refused to divulge salaries, even in pay bands, for individual positions within the programme. But it said the operating costs for Checkpoint were $639,110 "prior to John Campbell".

Figures released by RNZ under the Official Information Act also showed the state broadcaster spent another $645,978 setting up Checkpoint studio facilities, although it said the studio was not exclusively used for Checkpoint.

LAWRENCE SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Costs have jumped since RNZ's Checkpoint went multimedia with John Campbell in the hot seat.

It refused to provide a break down of the costs of setting up the studio, such as the price of furniture and equipment amid suggestions the couch alone cost $10,000, however.

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Chris McKeen / Stuff.co.nz John Campbell is as effusive in his gratitude for guests as ever.

The programme changed from a radio-only format to become multimedia, with streamed video in addition to the radio broadcast, but 30 minutes shorter since Campbell came on board.

Chief executive Paul Thompson and chairman Richard Griffin told the Commerce select committee in February Radio NZ would not seek extra funding in the May 26 Budget after accepting it is not a priority for more Government cash.

They had not "given up" on getting extra funding but it was "pointless beating your head against a brick wall," Griffin said

Even preparing a plan to ask for more money cost money.

"We have a plan but it is not based on putting up a proposition in this Budget round. We have a plan .... the Government and Treasury are already looking at, and will hopefully buy into."

The state broadcaster receives $31.8m in funding each year through NZ On Air but that has been frozen since 2008 and Griffin estimated an extra $4 million a year would be needed to return it to where it would have been without the funding freeze.

Thompson, a former editorial boss at Fairfax Media, said a "flat-line Budget while not perfect ... is a pretty good spot to be in" at the moment compared with falling budgets for news and current affairs at other media outlets at a time when the media market was in "absolute turmoil".

RNZ was seeing exponential growth online and strong engagement on radio. It had hired new talent including Campbell - the former host of TV3's current affairs show Campbell Live - for Checkpoint.

RNZ had run a deficit of $1.39m this year and had dipped into reserves, but was still cash positive.

It was reducing staff by 20 and lowering its cost base by $1.8m this year, and budgeting to break even.