As New Zealand evaluates strategies to enhance local programming content, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) has provided feedback to the New Zealand Ministry for Culture & Heritage. This input is part of a consultation on "Modernising regulation and content funding arrangements for New Zealand."
The CCIA's comments emphasize the necessity of maintaining an open environment that encourages investment and participation from global streaming providers. The association also underscores the strength of New Zealand's digital ecosystem and warns against potential risks posed by imposing discriminatory requirements on international streaming companies, such as mandatory payments for local content.
Similar comments have been submitted by CCIA in Canada and Colombia, where there are efforts to mandate payments from global streaming services to support local content production.
Jonathan McHale, Vice President of Digital Trade at CCIA, stated: "New Zealand has long been a crucial partner to the United States and the international community on digital trade, helping pursue and memorialize strong commitments to open trade in multiple venues. Reflecting the success of that approach, New Zealand has recently seen sustained growth in its audiovisual sector specifically, where it outperforms comparable markets. As the Ministry for Culture & Heritage considers options for promoting local content—an important public policy goal—it should center these efforts on incentives for domestic and foreign providers to participate in and grow the market. In doing so, it should maintain its tradition of open digital trade, rather than discriminatory burdens, such as mandatory payments that could have the opposite effect."