Who speaks for mana maori media

Tu Tangata, Issue 27, 1 December 1985, Page 22

Who speaks for mana maori media

Many moves are being made to ensure a Maori voice, face and mana becomes part of the media of Aotearoa.

The third television channel warrant bid by the Aotearoa Broadcasting System has had the effect of encouraging and forcing other contenders to incor-

porate some maori programming in their submissions currently before the Broadcasting Tribunal. This Aotearoa Broadcasting System fronted by former Te Karere producer, Derek Fox has already received commitment from BCNZ chairman, Hugh Rennie who obviously sees it as filling in an enormous cultural hole in the Broadcasting Corporation.

Aotearoa’s production and training functions are seen as vital if a kaupapa maori is adopted and staff and programmes brought into being.

And Radio New Zealand’s hierachy have also finally recognised that Maori people have ears and that a similar commitment to Television New Zealand is needed to honour their holding a warrant for the welfare of all New Zealanders.

RNZ are proposing a Radio Aotearoa Network initially starting from Te Reo o Aotearoa's studios in Papatoetoe, Auckland and then expanding with another studio in the North Island and one other in the South Island. It’s planned to have mobile units capable of broadcasting from local hui and marae so that a regional iwi and hapu flavour is transmitted. In the midst of this the Commission in-

structed by the Minister of Maori Affairs from last year’s Hui Taumata, to look into Maori Broadcasting, has delivered its report. The Maori Economic Development Commission’s view is that there should be a basic restructuring in bicultural education within radio and television.

The Commission has also formulated it’s own plan for a Maori radio network.

In line with this broadcasting committee member, Graeme Edwin has initiated arrangements with the Nga Hau E Wha marae in Christchurch for a proposed two week broadcast in February next year. One of the requirements is a radio transmitter.

It seems the succesful operation by Nga Kaiwhakapumau I Te Reo, of its Te Reo o Poneke for the past three years during Maori Language Week and the successful Te Reo o Raukawa this year have acted as models for Radio New Zealand.

There has been some tacit RNZ support of these operations, especially Te Reo o Raukawa and it’s hoped that the case has been proved regarding the tino reka o te reo Maori ki nga taringa Maori.

The Maori Economic Development Commission is also supporting the third

television bid by the Aotearoa Broadcasting System, which includes training, and production units for Maori programmes.

In line with this kaupapa, the Commission has an observer status at the warrant application hearings of the Broadcasting Tribunal.

Commission member, Ripeka Evans says it’s obvious that the Aotearoa warrant bid is causing other applicants to reassess their lack of maori content in their programming, and also overall control of this content.

She says there is clearly a need to have a statutory body similar to an ombudsman, to monitor all tv programme content.

All these moves within media circles could be great signs of recognition of Maori culture and its place as portrayed by our media, newspaper and magazine, radio and television.

But not all the moves come from the same motives. Some are only moving to further control this Maori expression, while others see the long-term need and neglect of the Maori culture but are apprehensive of sharing the control.

Into this mix comes the work of some Maori and pakeha people who have seen this awakening vision some years

ago. Part of the vision was the realisation that Maori people were being left out of the media by default through lack of training structures suited to Maori needs.

That work has borne fruit in the past few years with more Maori journalists emerging from journalism training courses. However the environment of these courses and the kaupapa they were set up on hasn’t allowed for maori input.

That changed this year with the first running of a Maori journalism course at Waiariki Community College, Rotorua, and thirteen Maori and Samoan journalists have taken their place in the pakeha media environment.

However the kaiwhakahaere, known as Mana Maori Media see the need to have a maori media environment that has a maori kaupapa and maori control. This they see as the development of their work over the years.

At present Tu Tangata magazine is the sole symbol of this mana maori media, with television’s Te Karere and radio’s Te Reo o Aotearoa both being dependent on pakeha funding and control. The maturing of both these media initiatives is dependent on autonomy being won by them.