Pipiwharauroa C Company - Reo Irirangi
What's going on in Māori media? Nā Tina Wickliffe Ngāti Porou
It’s my third week in my new job as a news reader for Tūranga FM. As I write this column, a former colleague of mine has resigned from his post as general manager of news and current affairs at the Māori Television Service. In the short time I’ve been at Tūranga FM, three senior executives at the Māori channel have resigned – the first out the door was my cousin, the beautiful and multi-talented Carol Hirschfeld. It’s no coincidence their impending departures follow the controversial arrival of new chief executive Paora Maxwell. I was part of the original lineup of reporters who launched the Te Kaea news programme in 2004. Julian Wilcox, along with the exquisite Ngarimu Daniels, anchored the show. We were the bilingual, inquisitive, unapologetic, contemporary face of Māori media. We were nothing like our slow-lane TVNZ cousins who were constantly being knee capped by their Pākehā masters. Or so we imagined despite barely measuring a blip in the ratings. And then Paora Maxwell happened and open warfare ensued.
Once Maxwell took over the reigns from Whai Ngata as GM of TVNZ’s Māori and Pacific programming things changed. And fast. Suddenly Te Karere was extended to a half hour with a flash new set. He appointed Shane Taurima as the editor who in turn recruited me from MTS to become the pompously titled ‘political correspondent.’ Maxwell stopped the Pākehā bosses from taking Te Karere off air for the cricket. He also told them where to go when they tried to pull us for an uninterrupted One News budget day special. Veteran reporters were encouraged to leave in favour of younger cheaper models, a newsroom practice I find demeaning and exploitative. But the ratings went up, Te Mangai Paho was happy, and the Pākehā bosses backed off.
Now Maxwell is calling the shots at MTS and is making changes as swiftly as he did at TVNZ. The new strategic direction he is leading includes realigning the Māori channel to its foundation of te reo and tikanga which openly suggests they might’ve lost the plot. Pulling in viewers as well as ‘alternative revenue streams’ is now a priority which means the future for expensive yet low rating news and current affairs programmes is online (not on the line). On screen staff who don’t speak Māori might want to seek jobs elsewhere. And yes, Maxwell will overhaul Native Affairs just as he overhauled Marae by slapping ‘Investigates’ at the end of it, increasing English content and cutting the show back to a half hour.
Pere memorial on Reads Quay. The Honourable Wi Pere named the Māori Contingent, which went to the First World War, Te Hokowhitu a Tū. He died in 1915 while the Contingent was fighting at Gallipoli. The Māori soldiers unveiled his monument on their return to New Zealand in 1919. The parade will then cross the Peel Street bridge and end up at the Army hall car park. The parade will be received and dismissed by postWW2 veterans. The New Zealand flag will be raised outside the building and the opening ceremony lead by the Bishop of Aotearoa, Brown Turei (who was a member of the 15th Reinforcements – the last reinforcement to join the Māori Battalion overseas), and ministers of the Ringatū Faith will commence.
Sir Apirana Ngata farewells officers and NCOs of the Fourth Reinforcements in Wellington. Left to right: Pat Priestly, Jack Reedy, Sir Apirana Ngata, Hone Green, Tutu Wirepa, Sam Green (brother of Hone Green and Ngata’s son in law), Tom Ormond.
C Company Memorial House Opening ...continued from the front page
The combined military and civilian parade will be a feature of the morning’s events and will signal the commencement of the opening day festivities. Any member of the public who wishes to be a part of the parade may do so. If you have a photo of a servicemen or servicewomen you would like to carry in the parade that is fine too. The parade is about commemorating those who have served overseas. The parade will muster at Te Poho-ō-Rāwiri Marae and, after a brief address by a representative of the Wi Pere Trust, will march to the Wi Pere Memorial. Four horsemen will be at the front of the parade, one dressed in the World War One East Coast Mounted Rifles uniform, the others in cowboy dress, reflecting the nick name that C Company bore. The Māori Battalion veterans will travel in the parade in open vehicles. The WW1 component of the parade will provide a general salute and wreaths will be laid at the Wi
All services of the Defence Force are going to take part in the parade, as well as cadet units and two secondary school military academies. We are hoping to have a contingent of 60 young Māori men in WW1 period uniforms supplied by Sir Peter Jackson. This is in memory of the 60 Gisborne-East Coast volunteers who marched out of Gisborne to the First World War 100 years ago. Every marae who gave a son to any of the wars has been invited to carry a framed photo (A4 size) in the parade. One wall in the new whare has been reserved for marae photos. The following 81 marae are those known to be in the C Company region and last month letters were sent to the chairperson of each extending the invitation. If we have missed any do let us know. Torere, Hawai, Maraenui, Whitianga, Omaio, Otuwhare, Waiorore, Te Kaha, Maungaroa, Pahaoa, Wairuru, Pararaki, Kauaetangohia, Potaka, Hinemaurea,
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So while I still have a foot in the industry, here I am writing for the country’s oldest Māori newspaper about the state of Māori television news as a newsreader for Tūranga FM. But before I get tempted to wax lyrical about the joys of radio, things are just as cut throat – my first radio job was with Ruia Mai who did over Mana Media, only to be eventually done over by Radio Watea. So the point of all this is as long as there is contestable public funding for Māori media news contracts, which is the whole lot, there will be no sacred cows and nobody is indispensable. While scanning back issues of this newspaper I came across a letter to the editor from 1901. “Congratulations on the works of Te Pipiwharauroa, bringing information to fill people’s hearts and ears”. That, dear readers, is what it’s all about. It’s time to turn the volume and egos down and concentrate on making programmes that fill the hearts and mind of our people. Otherwise our people should turn the TV off.
Pikitanga aka Punaruku, Tutua aka Paerauta, Hinerupe, Matahi o te Tau, Awatere, Te Kahika aka Hurae, Putaanga, Kaiwaka, Rahui, Te Ao Hou, Taumata o Tapuhi, Tairawhiti aka Hinepare, Ohinewaiapu, Karuai, Tinatoka, Mangarua aka Te Heapera, Tikapa aka Pokai, Te Horo aka Rakaitemania, Waiomatatini aka Porourangi, Kakariki aka Rakaihoea, Reporua aka Tu Auau, Umuariki, Ruataupare, Mangahanea aka Hinetapora, Whakarua aka Uepohatu, Rauru aka Taumata o Mihi, Ngāti Porou aka Kariaka,Te Aowera, Whareponga, Hiruharama aka Kapohanga, Rongo i te Kai aka Penu, Rongohaere aka Pahou, Te Kiekie, Taharora, Iritekura, Te Ariuru, Waiparapara, Pakirikiri, Tuatini, Anaura aka Hinetamatea, Okuri, Hinemaurea, Puketawai, Te Rawheoro, Hauiti Marae aka Ruakapanga, Whangara Mai Tawhiti, Te Poho o Rawiri, Te Kuri a Tuatai, Tarere, Parihimanihi, Takipu, Tapuihikitia, Mangatu, Te Wainui, Matawai, Takitimu, Te Rongopai, Pakohai, Ohako, Manutuke aka Māori Battalion, Whakato, Pahou, Muriwai aka Tāmanuhiri, Rangiwaho, Harataunga aka Rakairoa. Following the opening and welcome there will be the launch of the Māori edition of Nga Tama Toa. Copies will be available for purchase. There is a limited number of copies available at $59.99. This reduced price will only be for the day of the launch. All proceeds of sales will go towards covering the cost of the event. Photos are still being accepted at the Tairāwhiti Museum of men and women who served in all the following overseas theatres of war Boer War, WW1, WW2, Jayforce, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Peace-keeping. These will be hanging in the building on opening day. Roads in the immediate vicinity of the building will be closed but the Farmers Market will still run on the day. It promises to be a festive occasion. Nau mai haere mai ki te hui whakamaumahara ki o tātou hōia. Welcome one and all! Nā ngā trustees a Ngā Taonga ā Ngā Tama Toa Trust