March 01, 2016
Nonsense from Radio NZ
Nonsense from Radio NZ
WILLIE JACKSON
Recently I have been severely critical of Radio New Zealand’s Maori programming which came about because National radio cancelled their Maori News Te Manu Korihi last October. Now I have always believed that National radio have done a poor job in providing enough Maori news and in their recent review it was revealed that they only provided 204 hours of Maori programming over 12 months or just 2.3 percent. This is an insult to Maori we are 15 percent of the population yet we only get 2 percent of Maori news and stories and that is simply not good enough.
I am the chair of the 21 station Maori radio network. We receive $11million from the Crown for broadcasting primarily in the Maori language. We have to be accountable at all times. Contrast that with National radio who receive $35million of taxpayers’ money, pay token respect to Maori stories, show little accountability and have been getting away with this for years.
Five years ago Te Reo was part of National radio programming then with no excuse given they cut our language totally off the airwaves. The decision last year to cancel the Maori specific news in English means now that despite Maori being the treaty partner we now have no guaranteed voice on our National broadcaster. Head of content Carol Hirschfeld says though, that Maori have nothing to worry about because Maori stories will be incorporated into RNZS normal programming. Now I don’t doubt for a moment that Carol is sincere with her intentions and will make a real effort to improve things however, their Maori strategy that they released the week after my strong criticism of their programming gives me no confidence whatsoever. Chief executive Paul Thompsons said the plan will take a few years to come to fruition but there were five key points to it. The first priority listed said that RNZ was committed to preserving the Maori language. Immediately I thought great our reo was making a return to the airwaves but no, Thompson says the way RNZ was going to do this was by providing personalised language plans for key executives presenters and journalists. The stupidity shown here by Thompson and RNZ seems just unbelievable. They kick the language off the airwaves despite Maori being an official language of this Nation. Then their response to criticism over this is to use our taxpayers’ dollars to give their staff Maori lessons so that one day maybe in a few years’ time they might be able to speak Maori on air. It is an absolute disgrace. The other parts of the policy are ok but hardly innovative or earth shattering and include a partnership with iwi radio that might get some young Maori jobs on RNZ, strengthening their website and hiring Maori who are leaders in broadcasting. Sadly though RNZ just don’t get it. We want our stories, our language and our people on National radio. Check out the National radio website and count the number of Maori presenters or newsreaders of the 40 showcased, Maori have a grand total of one representative. I think Carol might need to talk to Paul again about RNZS ridiculous Maori strategy.
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