July 03, 2024
Whakaata Māori funding call premature
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Labour’s broadcasting spokesperson Willie Jackson says Whakaata Māori may be crying poor too early.
Chief executive Shane Taurima this week told staff the television and digital broadcaster was looking at organisational change to cope with an expected $9.5 million drop in government funding.
Mr Jackson says when he was minister he put in some extra putea on top of baseline funding, going out to 2027.
“I wasn’t in a position to give them funding forever but while I was minister I was making sure I gave funding out. They should be pushing this minister, Tama Potaka, to fund them over the next two years. They’re sort of preempting the Government – it’s a bit unusual what I’m hearing from them,” he says.
Mr Jackson says so far the coalition Government has made no fresh investment in media.