Broadcasting Standards Authority

The Broadcasting Standards Authority | Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho (BSA) is a New Zealand Crown entity created by the Broadcasting Act 1989 to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and pay television.

Broadcasting Standards Authority

Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho
Logo as of 2011
Agency overview
Formed	1 July 1989 (1989-07-01)
Type	Crown entity
Jurisdiction	Government of New Zealand
Headquarters	Level 2 119 Ghuznee Street Wellington, New Zealand 41°17′33″S 174°46′20″E
Employees	9
Minister responsible	Hon Willie Jackson, Minister of Broadcasting and Media
Agency executive	Susie Staley, Chairperson
Key document	Broadcasting Act 1989
Website	www.bsa.govt.nz

The main functions of the BSA are:

• Oversight and development of the broadcasting standards system.
• Complaints determination.
• Education and engagement.

The BSA is made up of a board appointed for a fixed term by the Governor-General on the advice of the Minister of Broadcasting and Media, meaning that practically the Minister (and Cabinet) appoint the board. The chair is always a barrister or solicitor. One member is appointed after consultation with broadcasters and one after consultation with public interest groups.

Complaints regarding breaches of broadcasting standards can generally only be brought to the BSA after first being raised with the broadcaster.

In June 2021, former Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti announced a review of New Zealand’s content regulatory system, saying the current system is confusing for content providers and consumers, with consumers having no single complaints process, and some content providers being regulated by multiple regimes. The review aims ‘to design a modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework’ that will better protect New Zealanders from harmful or illegal content.[1]