New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters used Pasifika TV’s 10th anniversary in Auckland on Thursday to reaffirm Wellington’s backing for regional media and to unveil a new initiative aimed at bringing more live sports to Pacific audiences.
Speaking at a gathering of Pacific broadcasters organised by Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), Peters congratulated the network on a decade of programming across the Pacific and described Pasifika TV as “a critical partner.” He praised broadcasters’ “collegiality, creativity, and the ability to solve problems” and underlined the sector’s role in supporting democratic life across dispersed island communities. “Broadcasting and media in the Pacific play a critical role in fostering democracy, ensuring safety, and preserving culture,” he said, adding that media “supports democracy by holding those in power to account, providing public service announcements, and promoting civic education.”
The minister announced a New Zealand government initiative to help PCBL and Pasifika TV “competitively negotiate and secure rights to show major live sports to Pacific audiences.” New Zealand has provided free-to-air content to PCBL since the service began, Peters noted, and the new programme is intended to boost the regional broadcaster’s capacity to win rights for high-demand events. He framed the move within a cultural context — sport as a shared passion across the region — and as a practical step to increase locally accessible live content.
Peters also stressed the infrastructure side of the equation, saying rapid improvements in digital systems and connectivity are essential to the future of Pacific broadcasting. “Everywhere we’ve been, our counterparts have stressed the importance of connectivity: physical and digital,” he told delegates. He pointed to the wider benefits of improved digital networks, arguing they underpin access to education and health services, enable financial inclusion, expand economic opportunities and connect remote communities to essential services.
The minister said that as broadcasters migrate to digital platforms, local stations will gain access to multiple channels and new distribution models that can reach wider Pacific audiences. “Technology is moving quickly in the region to support broadcasting. As Pacific broadcasters move to digital, local broadcasters begin to have access to multiple channels,” he said, adding that this “creates an opportunity for digital transformation platforms as connectivity improves.”
PCBL’s mission, Peters reminded delegates, remains to “build and support an empowered, resilient and sustainable Pacific broadcasting community which supports informed, open and democratic societies, and regional cohesion.” He noted Pasifika TV’s role in emergency communication, connecting the world to the region during crises, and pledged New Zealand’s continued support for media freedom and a “resilient, vibrant and regionally connected Pacific media sector.”
The announcement comes at a time when Pacific broadcasters are navigating shifting technology and rising costs for content rights globally. By helping PCBL develop negotiating capacity, Wellington aims to keep live, culturally relevant programming — notably sport — on free-to-air services across island states, while pairing that content strategy with investments that expand the digital backbone needed to deliver it. Peters closed by congratulating delegates on the milestone and wishing them well for the remainder of the conference.
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