A strong, diverse, accessible, and independent media is essential to effective democracy, and to Aotearoa New Zealand’s social, cultural, economic, and environmental well-being.
Free and independent media is essential to democracy
- A vigorous, independent, and diverse media is the cornerstone of a free society. The media should not be controlled by the state, or international and local commercial monopolies.
- Responsible self-regulation is the preferred model for content regulation
- The right to broadcast or publish is balanced with expectations to act responsibly
- TVNZ, Radio NZ, and Maori TV should remain independent and publicly owned.
Government has a responsibility to ensure diversity of broadcasting content
- Non-commercial, community, and Maori broadcasters should have access to radio and television distribution frequencies.
- Community broadcasting must be able to grow and develop in a manner that reflects changing technologies, ethnic and cultural diversity.
- Local content should be securely and adequately funded as overseas film and television productions are. Local content quotas should be investigated.
- Local content funding should come from a mix of consolidated Crown revenue and revenue sources such as fees on broadcasters and content distributors.
- NZ on Air and other public funding decisions should cater to underserved audiences, and not be based purely on likely audience size.
The Crown has specific obligations relating to Maori broadcasting
- The Crown must honour its obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi relating to te reo Maori, Maori Television, and iwi radio.
Broadcasting should be accessible to all
- People of all abilities should be able to easily access media over a variety of platforms.
- Legislation should ensure that broadcast and on-line content is in an accessible format, including captioning, audio-description and New Zealand Sign Language content.
- All free to air television content should be captioned.
Children should be protected from excessive advertising and gratuitous violence
- Funding should be increased for quality, locally produced, free to air media content aimed at children and young people and quotas for this should be investigated.
- Removing all advertising from children’s programming should be investigated.
- Excessively violent programming should only be screened late at night.
