Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has been introduced to Parliament, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Traditional media outlets are operating in an extremely difficult environment and as the Government we must ensure regulatory settings are enabling the best chance of success. This [change] will level the… Read More

As we head into the summer months, it’s the perfect time to review the Advertising Standards Authority’s essential guidelines for depicting swimming pools in ads. Safety is a priority, and following these rules helps ensure compliant, family-friendly content. CAB is here to help – if in doubt, reach out for advice (always free of charge)…. Read More

CAB will be closed from 5pm Friday 20 December until Wednesday 8 January 2025. We will have an on-call holiday service to deal with any requests on the days when the office is officially closed. All requests should be sent to advice@commercialapprovals.co.nz. Below are the broadcasters’ material deadlines for the holiday season. Note that there… Read More

Sky has announced the launch of Sky Open, its new free-to-air channel that replaces Prime from Wednesday 23 August. Sky Open will offer a diverse lineup of content, featuring local shows from Sky Originals NZ, news, exclusive Sky Sport coverage, documentaries, and entertainment. Lauren Quaintance, Sky’s Chief Media and Data Officer, says: “Sky Open invites… Read More

14 August 2023 – We are making a change to the fees we charge to approve and classify commercials for broadcast from 1 October 2023. Advice and script pre-approval will continue to be provided free of charge. We understand that price increases are never going to be popular but note that this increase is our… Read More

New Zealand is set to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ from 20 July to 20 August 2023. As this is classified as a major event under the Major Events Management Act 2007 there are specific advertising rules that businesses need to follow from now until 19 September 2023, when the protection period for… Read More

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has released their Guide on Election Advertising 2023.  This Guide will assist political parties and candidates, advocacy groups, consumers and the advertising industry to understand the ASA’s role in supporting responsible election advertising. The Guide on Election Advertising 2023 is available on the ASA website here. The Guide sets out the jurisdictions… Read More

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has released two new suites of resources to support advertisers and agencies when navigating the Advertising Standards Codes and Complaints Process.  A suite of seven Get It Right The First Time infographics run through common advertising mistakes across high-risk topics, and include the ASA’s top tips for how to avoid a Code breach in these areas. … Read More

New Zealand’s television broadcasters have released their material deadlines for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. Note that there are differences between the networks so please take extra care. CAB will be closing at 1pm on Friday 23 December and open again on Monday 9 January 2023. We will have an ‘on-call’ service… Read More

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has released its 2021 Annual Report, which outlines the self-regulatory action undertaken by the ASA and provides a snapshot of its key areas of work. The ASA handled 1245 complaints about 570 advertisements in 2021, of these 200 where ordered to be removed to changed. ASA Chief Executive Hilary Souter said… Read More