Minister for Media and Communications
Coat of arms of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand
Incumbent
Melissa Lee
since 27 November 2023
Television New Zealand
Radio New Zealand
StyleThe Honourable
Member ofExecutive Council
Reports toPrime Minister of New Zealand
AppointerGovernor-General of New Zealand
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Formation1 July 1936
(as Minister of Broadcasting)
First holderMichael Joseph Savage
Salary$288,900[1]

The Minister for Media and Communications[lower-alpha 1] is a minister in the government of New Zealand 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.[2] The current Minister is Melissa Lee, 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.[3][4] 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.[5]

Later the minister oversaw the introduction of television into New Zealand and became responsible for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC).[6]

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.[7] 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.[2]

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.[8] The plan was later scrapped.[9]

List of ministers

The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Broadcasting.[10]

Key

  Labour   National

No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime 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 1951 Holland
6 Ronald Algie 19 September 1951 12 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
Marshall
12 Roger Douglas 8 December 1972 12 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 Hunt 8 November 1988 2 November 1990
Palmer
Moore
18 Maurice Williamson 2 November 1990 10 December 1999 Bolger
Shipley
19 Marian Hobbs 10 December 1999 23 February 2001 Clark
- Steve Maharey
acting minister		 23 February 2001 27 March 2001
(19) Marian Hobbs 27 March 2001 15 August 2002
20 Steve Maharey 15 August 2002 5 November 2007
21 Trevor Mallard 5 November 2007 19 November 2008
22 Jonathan Coleman 19 November 2008 14 December 2011 Key
23 Craig Foss 14 December 2011 8 October 2014
24 Amy Adams 8 October 2014 20 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 present Luxon

See also

Works cited

  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

Notes

  1. ↑ Previously (Minister of Broadcasting), (Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media) and (Minister of Broadcasting and Media).

References

  1. ↑ "Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). www.parliament.nz. New Zealand Parliament. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Broadcasting and Media". Broadcasting and Media. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Control by Minister". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXI, no. 135. 9 June 1936. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Broadcasting Portfolio". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. LXX. 1 July 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. ↑ Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: A biography of Michael Joseph Savage. Auckland, New Zealand: Reed Methuen. pp. 193–4. ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
  6. ↑ "Television in New Zealand; TV emerges in New Zealand". NZ History online. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "Our Ministers | Ministry for Culture and Heritage". 31 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "New details revealed as Cabinet agrees on RNZ, TVNZ public broadcasting decision". RNZ. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Watch: TVNZ/RNZ merger scrapped, income insurance and hate speech laws delayed". RNZ. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 89–97.
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