July 06, 2015
Maori Television news boss defends mana wahine
A new line-up debuts on Native Affairs tonight, and Maori Television’s head of news and current affairs says everyone on the team is positive after weeks of turmoil.
Billie Jo Ropiha and Ward Kamo will share the presentation duties, replacing Mihingarangi Forbes who is moving to Radio New Zealand.
The programme has also lost chief producer Annabelle Lee and reporter Jodi Ihaka.
Maramena Roderick told Radio Waatea host Willie Jackson the way changes at the station were reported in other media was an eye-opener.
"That was real disappointng for me to hear the accusations and that we're losing all these wahine Maori and it undermines the mana of wahine Maori and what about all the other wahine Maori in this newsroom? Forty people are on our floor. Half of them are wahine Maori. their whakapapa, their integrity, their mana is equally valued," she says.
Maramena Roderick says Semiramis Holland, who left to take up a position with iwi radio station Sun FM in Whakatane, will continue to file occasional stories to Native Affairs.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com