Our Role

The purpose of NZ On Air is to support local content on radio and television.

NZ On Air is a funding agency.

We provide funding for National Radio and Concert FM, for locally-made television programmes, the promotion of NZ music on NZ radio, access and community radio services, radio programming, transmission coverage to remote areas and archiving of television programmes and radio broadcasts.

Our aim is to ensure that New Zealand-made programmes and broadcasts that would otherwise not be provided in a commercial market are made.

The programmes we fund fall into one of two categories:

programmes that are of interest to a mainstream audience but are too risky and/or expensive for the market to fund;
programmes that are focused on minority interests and consequently, are not commercially viable.

What's so special about broadcasting?

Broadcasting is crucial to society. It's a vehicle for reflecting the different expressions of New Zealand's culture and identity. It's the "mass" media - accessed by the widest number of people, and therefore serves as an important "public forum" for debate, keeps us informed of issues relevant to us, ensures we can see and hear our own stories, and allows for some communication and interaction between minorities and the mainstream.

As New Zealand deals with the pressures of globalisation, the convergence of communications media and the fragmentation of audiences, broadcasting’s role in society is even more important.

That's what we do. Now here's what we DON'T do:

Remember NZ On Air is a funding agency.

We have no control over decisions made by broadcasters on programming or advertising matters, nor over the content of programmes not funded by NZ On Air.

If you have questions or enquiries about these things, or about transmission coverage extensions, advertisements, interference problems or transmission faults, please directly contact the broadcaster or organisation involved.