Within contemporary New Zealand the political climate is such that market forces tend to be privileged over any social or cultural mandates. This has resulted in a deregulated broadcasting context in which three of the five free-to-air channels are operated as State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with the remaining two operating as independent commercial operations. However, within this deregulated broadcasting context, there is an attempt to maintain something of a public service ethos. This article examines a New Zealand television documentary series, An Immigrant Nation, and the tensions and contradictions arising in a project that attempts to tell marginal' stories within the mainstream' media.