March 28, 2013
Te Māngai Pāho picks up Gold Coast funding
Māori broadcast funding agency Te Māngai Pāho is funding the second series of The GC.
The first series of the show about young Māori living on Queensland’s Gold Coast was funded by New Zealand on Air, and drew controversy because its producers Black Inc Media touted what appeared to be standard reality tv as being about how Māori define themselves.
Te Māngai Pāho Chief Executive John Bishara says the TV3 show has a big Māori audience, so it justifies the $419,000 subsidy for eight episodes.
Another reality show to be run on TVNZ, Home Krew, gets $260,000 for eight episodes, while entertainment show Whānau Living, also on TVNZ, gets $560,000 for 22 episodes.
The rest of the $4.6 million third round allocation goes to shows for broadcast on Māori Television, including a $575,000 for a new series of Survive Aotearoa.
Documentary series funded include Moko Aotearoa, Karanga: The first voice, Ka Tu Ka Kōrero and Te Iti Kahurangi: The journey to success.
There’s $110,000 for a one-off show Reggae Allstars Unite, and a $75,000 subsidy for The Pā Boys, a feature written and directed by Himiona Grace of Whenua Films, which starts shooting in May.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd