Media release: 8 July 2020
Building on the immediate transmissions fee relief provided to media organisations in the first media sector support package, support has been extended to a range of other broadcasters– including community access radio, regional radio stations and ethnic radio.
A number of these broadcasters who pay transmission fees to providers other than Kordia and RNZ will be eligible to have their transmission costs covered by Government for six months, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage announced today.
The further transmission fee relief is an extension of the support provided as part of the Government’s first media sector support package, in response to work conducted with the sector. Six months’ relief from transmission costs payable to Kordia and RNZ - as well as relief to iwi radio on their transmission costs - was the initial step in the initiative.
“Kordia and RNZ are part of the public infrastructure so we could work with them to provide support to the sector quickly. At the same time, we worked with the sector to collate a view of other transmission fees they pay," Manatū Taonga Pou Mataaho o Te Hua Deputy Chief Executive, Delivery Tamsin Evans said today.
“We will be working with Johnston, Dick and Associates (JDA) as a large provider in this sector, to help broadcasters access this transmission fee relief.”
“The broadcasters supported by this initiative play a particularly important role in the communities they serve – raising the voice of diverse audiences and regional communities."
“We are particularly pleased to now be able to extend the relief to these organisations, many of whom are key to providing information to their communities, particularly through the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tamsin Evans said.
Work has also been done to ensure support reaches those media organisations who have yet to receive any form of waiver on their transmission fees under the initiative, or only partial relief.
“To date, 64 applications for transmission relief have been approved by the Ministry and we anticipate many more will be added to that number in this extended round of relief, working to a total of $21.1M of support,” Tamsin Evans said.
To check the eligibility criteria and download an application form please visit: media support sector package or email [email protected]
Updated on 8th October 2021