October 07, 2022
Nga Aho Whakaari sees Māori squeezed out of media merger
The Māori screen guild Nga Aho Whakaari says Māori concerns aren’t being taken seriously in the proposed TVNZ/Radio New Zealand merger.
It told a parliamentary select committee Maori interests under the Treaty of Waitangi haven’t been properly considered, despite a series of claims on broadcasting spectrum.
Executive director Executive director Lanita Ririnui says the merger documents only talk about engagement with Māori.
“So changing words from ‘engagement’ to ‘partnership’ to align with the treaty,” she says
Ms Ririnui says there also needs to be guaranteed access by Maori Television and radio to decades of Maori content,.
The government is pushing for the merger to be passed into law by Matariki next year, well ahead ahead of the general election.