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Praises have flooded in for Maori Television chief executive Paora Maxwell, who leaves the channel in August after just three years on the job.
His tenure has included the resignation of many senior staff, controversy over a bid to move the headquarters to Rotorua and its eventual relocation to a remote part of south Auckland and accusations of interference in editorial decisions.
Christina Asher, the chair of Maori screen and television guild Nga Aho Whakaari, says Mr Maxwell had a long history as a programme maker and someone who had marched for the proper resourcing for Maori language.
He continued that fight when appearing before parliament’s Maori affairs select committee as Maori Television chief executive.
"They grilled him severely over staff resignations and his strategy for the future and so on, but he came away with another $10 million for the channel, and that's a pretty positive outcome. Despite his many detractors and despite the controversy around his resignation and multiple resignations afterwards and so on, Paora Maxwell put his reputation on the line to advocate for a te reo channel and for better funding," she says.
Christina Asher is to receive the Women in Film and Television Mana Wahine Award at next month’s Wairoa Film Festival.
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