Radio ad referral to police
On 20 August 2026 the Electoral Commission referred MediaWorks and NZME to the Police over an advertisement broadcast outside the election period.
It is the Commission’s view that the ad was an election advertisement for a candidate, and its broadcast on several MediaWorks and NZME radio stations from April 2026 to July 2026 was a breach of the Broadcasting Act.
The Act states that an election programme (advertisement) cannot be broadcast at any time on radio or television other than during the ‘election period’, which runs from 4 October to 6 November 2026 for the 2026 General Election.
As this matter is now with the Police, the Commission will not be commenting further.