October 18, 2018
Māori broadcasters challenged to go digitial
Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta says her review of Māori broadcasting is a chance for the sector to determine where it should be heading.
It's the first such review in more than 20 years and Ms Mahuta says it's driven by the challenges created by a shift to digital production and transmission, whic will require new investment.
There are also questions about the type of content being produced and whether it can be used in different ways, such as for education.
She wants to know how ready Māori television and iwi radio are to move into the the digital space, and what must be done to support the shift including changing the way content is commissioned and funded.
"These days when kids can put up clips on YouTube that get one million-plus likes, there's your audience. The digital space provides a whole lot more opportunity, once you understand your audience, to create content that drives the consumer demand, and we need to understand that in the Māori broadcasting space, otherwise we will get left behind," Ms Mahuta says.
While the funding going through Te Mangai Pāho is mainly dedicated to supporting the revitalisation of te reo Maori, she would like to see Māori broadcasters getting more public broadcast funding from New Zealand on Air for their English language content."
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