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The Minister for Media and Communications is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the government's broadcasting and media policies, including the diversity and accessibility of broadcast content, broadcasting standards, the regulation of the print media, and the oversight of state media corporations TVNZ and Radio New Zealand. The current Minister is Paul Goldsmith, a member of the National Party.
History In 1936 the First Labour Government decided that broadcasting would be run by the state. As a result a government minister in charge of Broadcasting was appointed and new legislation (the Broadcasting Act 1936) was passed that abolished the existing New Zealand Broadcasting Board and established the new National Broadcasting Service in its place. A Director of Broadcasting was appointed and a Broadcasting Advisory Council formed as a result of the act to advise the minister. The Labour Party had specifically sought to broadcast parliamentary debates via radio as a means of allowing the public to listen and make their own judgment of events, rather than relying solely on the press, whom Labour were distrustful of.
Later the minister oversaw the introduction of television into New Zealand and became responsible for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC).
Between December 2016 and October 2017, the broadcasting portfolio was disestablished, with portfolio responsibilities shared between the Minister for Communications and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. The position was recreated from October 2017 with a title change reflecting a broader scope. The Minister is advised by officials from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Under the Sixth Labour Government, the focus of the portfolio was on creating a new Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media entity which would have been formed by merging TVNZ and Radio New Zealand into a single state broadcaster. The plan was later scrapped.
List of ministers The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Broadcasting.
Key
No.NamePortraitTerm of OfficePrime Minister As Minister of Broadcasting 1 Michael Joseph Savage 1 July 1936 27 March 1940 Savage 2 Peter Fraser 27 March 1940 21 January 1941 Fraser 3 David Wilson 21 January 1941 8 April 1944 4 Fred Jones 8 April 1944 13 December 1949 5 Frederick Doidge 13 December 1949 19 September 1951Holland6Ronald Algie 19 September 195112 December 1957 Holyoake 7 Ray Boord 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash 8 Arthur Kinsella 12 December 1960 20 December 1963 Holyoake 9 Jack Scott 20 December 1963 15 February 1967 10 Lance Adams-Schneider 15 February 1967 22 December 1969 11 Bert Walker 22 December 1969 8 December 1972 Marshall12Roger Douglas 8 December 197212 December 1975 Kirk Rowling 13 Hugh Templeton 12 December 1975 12 February 1981 Muldoon 14 Warren Cooper 12 February 1981 11 December 1981 15 Ian Shearer 11 December 1981 26 July 1984 16 Jonathan Hunt 26 July 1984 24 August 1987 Lange 17 Richard Prebble 24 August 1987 4 November 1988 - David Lange acting minister 4 November 1988 8 November 1988(16)Jonathan Hunt8 November 19882 November 1990 Palmer Moore18Maurice Williamson 2 November 199010 December 1999 Bolger Shipley 19 Marian Hobbs 10 December 1999 23 February 2001Clark - Steve Mahareyacting minister 23 February 2001 27 March 2001 (19) Marian Hobbs 27 March 2001 15 August 200220Steve Maharey15 August 20025 November 2007 21 Trevor Mallard 5 November 2007 19 November 2008 22 Jonathan Coleman 19 November 2008 14 December 2011Key 23 Craig Foss 14 December 2011 8 October 201424Amy Adams8 October 201420 December 2016 No separate appointments 20 December 2016 26 October 2017 English As Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media 25 Clare Curran 26 October 2017 7 September 2018 Ardern As Minister of Broadcasting and Media 26 Kris Faafoi 7 September 2018 14 June 2022 Ardern 27 Willie Jackson 14 June 2022 27 November 2023 Hipkins As Minister for Media and Communications 28 Melissa Lee 27 November 2023 24 April 2024 Luxon 29 Paul Goldsmith 24 April 2024 present
See also Television in New Zealand Radio in New Zealand
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