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AM/FM radio spectrum: 2031 expiry of licences and potential reassignment
AM/FM licences are due to expire in 2031, and renewal is in progress.
Notification of moratorium on applications and modifications of AM/FM commercial sound broadcasting licences
19 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.
If you intend to apply for any licence modifications, or apply for new licences before the moratorium, you must ensure that these processes are completed before 5pm on 20 February 2026:
- For new licence applications: Your completed licence application must be in the Crown Spectrum Asset Manager’s work queue in the Register of Radio Frequencies (RRF) by 5pm, 20 February 2026. This means that your Approved Radio Engineer (ARE) has completed and submitted the licence online through the RRF. Your application will be processed during the moratorium as per current practice (including expressions of interest).
- For modifications of existing licences: your completed licence modification must be in the Crown Spectrum Asset Manager’s work queue in the RRF by 5pm, 20 February 2026. This means that your ARE has created a licence modification request which the person designated in the RRF as the rightholder of the licence must have also then submitted to the Manager (Crown Spectrum Asset Manager) in the online RRF. Your application will be processed during the moratorium as per current practice.
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.
This moratorium of approximately 12 months is required to provide administrative stability for the AM/FM renewal project. We expect that an additional moratorium will be required closer to the end of the current management right (around 2030) to allow for RSM to undertake transition activities. Details of this second moratorium will be confirmed closer to the time. We have previously consulted on a moratorium which would have commenced in April 2026 and finished in April 2031, and this revised approach of two shorter moratoriums is intended to address feedback that our initial proposal was too lengthy and restrictive.
The moratorium does not apply to iwi or community licences. Engage with Te Puni Kōkiri or Ministry for Culture and Heritage if you have any questions on those classes of licences. Note that in some instances an iwi licence holder may also hold commercial licences. In these instances the moratorium still applies to the commercial licences that are held.
Consultation April 2025
Radio Spectrum Management has opened consultation on the potential reassignment of licences in the AM and FM radio spectrum bands prior to expiry in 2031.