Broadcasting advertising restrictions on holidays gone

By CathNews New Zealand

October 17th, 2025

Russell Street/ Wikimedia Commons

Advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays – including Christmas Day and Good Friday – have been scrapped by Parliament.

The third reading of the Broadcasting (Repeal of Advertising Restrictions) Amendment Bill passed in a 93-29 personal vote on October 14.

The amended law repeals section 81 of the Broadcasting Act 1989 to remove the restriction on broadcast television advertising on Sunday and Anzac Day mornings, and television and radio broadcast advertising on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Media Minister Paul Goldsmith said the change levels the playing field for local media companies by ensuring they are not disadvantaged by restrictions that don’t apply to digital streaming platforms.

“This change could help a sector facing intense competition, with industry estimates showing this could generate approximately $6 million annually,” Mr Goldsmith said.

“These restrictions have become increasingly redundant as a growing share of audiences turn to streaming services for their news and entertainment. New Zealand on Air data shows YouTube was the most popular platform in the country last year, reaching 43 per cent of the population daily.

“New Zealand’s media sector has been calling for this change for a long time, and this Government has done it.”

Some MPs spoke against the changes during the third reading debate.

New Zealand First’s Jenny Marcroft said that the “boundaries that we draw around our working lives and our very special celebration days are important to all of us, and we’d be the poorer without them”.

“This bill overlooks the cultural value of New Zealand’s commercial-free days as roadblocks to revenue and not foundations of our country’s character,” she said. “We don’t buy into the idea that every moment of broadcast has to be sold. We believe in New Zealand’s secure times of reflection, family and community.”

Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon said, “we actually have to think about how often we live in such a crazy, noisy world and where the sanctity lies when we have Anzac Day, Easter and Christmas”.

FULL STORY

Levelling playing field for broadcast advertising (Beehive)

Broadcasting (Repeal of Advertising Restrictions) Amendment Bill — Third Reading (NZ Parliament)

Tuesday, 14 October 2025 – Volume 788 (NZ Parliament)