Background

Non commercial radio and television broadcasting, and local commercial FM radio broadcasting, operate under contractual arrangements with the following agencies.

• Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) ― licence agreements for the promotion of Māori language and culture.
• The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) ― licence agreements to further the Government’s non-commercial broadcasting objectives.
• The Ministry of Economic Development (MED) ― local commercial FM licence agreements to enhance local broadcasting.
• NZ On Air (NZOA) ― funding agreements with some regional radio and television broadcasters, mainly to ensure a range of New Zealand programmes is available for special interest groups cited in s36(c) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.
• Te Māngai Pāho (TMP) ― funding agreements for content that promotes Māori language and culture.
   

For the purposes of this report:

• ‘licences’ typically specify the technical conditions attached to a radio or spectrum licences by the MED (location, frequency, power, interference, etc);
• ‘licence agreements’ typically specify the conditions of ownership, funding and content for broadcasting operations ― with MCH for non-commercial broadcasting, MED for local commercial FM broadcasting and TPK for Māori broadcasting; and
• ‘funding agreements’ typically specify particular forms of New Zealand and/or Māori content, but may also include operational funding.