Current and upcoming spectrum auctions
Information about current and upcoming spectrum auctions managed by Radio Spectrum Management (RSM).
Auction 31 – Licences for FM sound broadcasting
Applications for the 3 sound broadcasting licences listed below were received before the commercial sound broadcasting licensing moratorium commenced at 5pm on 20 February 2026.
Auction 31 for the sale of 3 FM commercial sound broadcasting licences at RWKMGO Mangakino (South Waikato District), 42 Paeroa Range (Rotorua District) and RMWONU – Ohura (Ruapehu District) required interested parties to register with Turners by 12 noon on 29 June 2026.
Only 1 party registered for the auction by the deadline. As no other bids would have been possible, RSM made the decision to withdraw all 3 lots and offer the licences to the only registered bidder by direct sale.
The licences that will be allocated are:
| Transmit location | Frequency | Licence ID | Reserve price (incl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RWKMGO – Mangakino (South Waikato District) | 100.4 MHz | 431251(external link) | $4,423 |
| 42 Paeroa Range (Rotorua District) | 106.0 MHz | 431252(external link) | $1,359 |
| RMWONU – Ohura (Ruapehu District) | 105.5 MHz | 432155(external link) | $1,150 |
Auctions(external link) – Turners
Applications for new commercial sound broadcasting licences are on hold until further notice. No further auctions for commercial licences will be held until further notice.
Notification of moratorium on applications and modifications of AM/FM commercial sound broadcasting licences: December 2025
Work is underway to renew AM/FM licences, and a moratorium on new AM/FM commercial licenses and commercial licence modifications will be in place from 5pm 20 February 2026 until late 2026 to support this project. The date when the moratorium is to be lifted will be confirmed closer to the time.
There is very limited scope to make changes to existing commercial licences during the moratorium. It is expected that any requests would be prompted by factors beyond the control of operators and which cannot wait until the moratorium is lifted, such as unexpectedly losing access to a transmission site at short notice. If a modification is required during the moratorium period, a statutory declaration form will be required. This will be available after the moratorium has started, on 20 February 2026, by request made to crownspectrum@mbie.govt.nz.
For full details of the commercial licensing moratorium, see:
AM/FM radio spectrum: 2031 expiry of licences and potential reassignment