Government to axe Broadcasting Standards Authority in media shake-up

Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith said the decision was down to a need to level the regulatory playing field between traditional broadcasters and digital platforms.

The Government has announced plans to abolish the Broadcasting Standards Authority, citing a need to level the regulatory playing field between traditional broadcasters and digital platforms.

“New Zealand’s media landscape has changed dramatically, but our regulatory settings have not kept up,” Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith said on Wednesday.

“The BSA regime was designed for a broadcasting environment that is rapidly disappearing. Today, audiences move seamlessly between traditional broadcasting, on‑demand services, podcasts and online platforms - yet only a small portion of that content is subject to the BSA’s regulatory oversight. It doesn’t make sense.”

Legislation to repeal provisions referencing the BSA will be introduced in the coming months. Until then, the BSA will continue its role.

In an interview on 3News at 6pm, and viewable in the video at the top of this page, Goldsmith was asked, ‘why not increase the powers of the BSA so it covers all media; was it a funding issue?’

'Yes you could extend it to all the podcasts or a whole lot of online activity, but it's actually quite difficult where you draw the line,“ Goldsmith responded.

“You don't want to be engaging in people's YouTube videos or the general public. So you can go further and further into social media regulation, which we're just not in favour of,” he said.

The Government has agreed to disestablish the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) and investigate self-regulation options (file pic).

The New Zealand Media Council, through which print media already self-regulates, is expected to become the primary regulator for journalism across all platforms. The Government also intends to investigate wider self-regulation options for the industry.

“The current framework can create inconsistencies and unfair outcomes for media providers, with similar content treated differently depending on whether it is broadcast live or accessed on demand,” Goldsmith said.

He said only a 'small portion' of modern media content was currently subject to the BSA's oversight.

“I’m confident that greater industry self-regulation is the most practical way to level the playing field across platforms,' Goldsmith said.

But Labour leader Chris Hipkins took a different view and described the move as “really, really risky”, and accused the Government of pushing “an anti media narrative”.

“A good, robust media is vital to a good, robust democracy,” he said.

“Just scrapping it and saying, look, we're just going to leave this up to self regulation, that's not the answer.”

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins. (file photo)

Hipkins agreed there was a broader conversation to be had about the role of the BSA, but would not say what Labour would do if they were elected.

“We’ll see what happens in the next few months,” he said.

“We haven't even had a chance to talk about it internally yet, but we are concerned that they are just rushing headlong into something without thinking through the consequences.”

Plunket ‘not interested in what the BSA was saying anyway’

The move comes after the BSA confirmed in a landmark ruling last month that it has jurisdiction over digital talkback show The Platform.

At the time, host and self-proclaimed “webcaster” Sean Plunket declared “game on” with the regulator.

Speaking to Stuff on Wednesday, Plunket said the announcement isn’t likely to change anything for The Platform.

The Platform host and self-proclaimed “webcaster” Sean Plunket.

“We weren’t really interested in what the BSA was saying anyway. It won’t change anything editorially,” he said.

“But it is a victory for free speech, and it is victory for people who want to say what they want on the internet.”

Asked if he would be open to joining a self-regulating industry body like the Media Council, Plunket said “I self-regulate already”, and “I’m not a great one for joining clubs”.

The BSA responds

In a statement, BSA chief executive Stacey Wood said the regulator’s primary interest “has been to ensure the public continue to have access to accurate, reliable media content, and a regulator they can turn to if they think public standards are breached”.

“It has never been about protecting our existing operating model, and it was clear any future regulator would need to look different to the existing BSA.”

She said the agency has been campaigning for Broadcasting Act reform for more than 15 years.

“It has always been for lawmakers to decide if the Authority plays a role in any future regulatory setup. We’ve worked with officials and provided advice on various proposals over the years,” she said.