Washington — As New Zealand considers measures to promote local programming content, the Computer & Communications Industry Association today submitted comments to the New Zealand Ministry for Culture & Heritage in response to its consultation into “Modernising regulation and content funding arrangements for New Zealand.”
The comments detail the importance of fostering an open environment for continued investment and participation from streaming providers around the world. Further, the comments highlight the strength of New Zealand’s digital ecosystem and the risks it faces if discriminatory burdens on global streaming companies were to be instituted, including mandatory payments for local content.
CCIA has submitted comments in similar proceedings in Canada and Colombia that seek to require payments from global streaming companies to fund local content.
The following quote can be attributed to Jonathan McHale, CCIA Vice President of Digital Trade:
“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.”
