Media Reform is a discussion document that outlines five draft proposals to create modern media legislation for New Zealand’s media and content production sector. Submissions on the document close Sunday 23 March. Should the legislation progress, elements of it are very likely to impact you.
The five draft proposals are:
- Ensuring accessibility of local media platforms: Require TV manufacturers to ensure local media services are prominent and visible to audiences on devices such as Smart TVs so they can be easily found by audiences.
- Increasing investment into and discoverability of local content: Require streaming platforms and TV broadcasters to invest in local content and help audiences to find it, supporting more production of and engagement with New Zealand stories on the platforms New Zealanders use.
- Increasing captioning and audio description: Require more captioning and audio description of content that is broadcast or streamed to ensure access for disabled New Zealanders
- Modernising professional media regulation: Revise the broadcasting standards regime (including the Broadcasting Standards Authority) with platform-neutral regulation of professional media that focuses more on system-level outcomes.
- Streamlining Crown content funders: Consolidate NZ On Air and the Film Commission into a single entity, supporting more efficient and strategic administration of government funding for local content and industry development.
Proposed changes to media legislation aim to:
- create a modern and fit for purpose regulatory and funding environment, and
- support a healthy and sustainable media and content production sector that delivers for New Zealand audiences.
The proposals are high-level, and the Government has not decided whether to progress them.
Any proposals that are ultimately agreed by Cabinet would require legislation to implement. They would come into force in 2026 at the earliest. Media Reform proposals do not include changes to funding levels. Options are designed to withstand changes in funding – up or down.
WIFT will be submitting on behalf of our members. If you have anything you wish to contribute to the development of our submission please email office@wiftnz.org.nz by Wednesday 12 March. Please note you can send your own submission.
There is a simple online form here for your own submission. Click here. There is plenty of content about the proposals on the MCH site. HERE