CUTTING–EDGE CURRENT AFFAIRS RETURNS TO MĀORI TELEVISION

21 April 2008

Māori Television will launch the second series of its insightful indigenous current affairs show, NATIVE AFFAIRS, on Monday April 28 at 8.00 PM.

Presented by Julian Wilcox, NATIVE AFFAIRS covers regional and national current affairs – from a Māori perspective – as well as international indigenous news. Executive producer Colin McRae, producer Sharon Hawke and associate producer Wena Harawira are joined by reporters Taiha Molyneux, Annabelle Lee-Harris, Semi Holland, Makere Edwards and Marisa Balle.

Māori Television’s general manager of news and current affairs, Te Anga Nathan, says the hour-long primetime programme was honoured after only one year on air when it was named a finalist for best current affairs show at the 2007 Qantas Television Awards.

Upcoming stories include an exclusive television interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Peter Arnett; an in-depth look at child prostitution in central and south Auckland; and a profile of Nelson Māori once made landless by the Crown who are now owners of large plots of land in the Stewart Island.

In the international arena, there is an ANZAC tale about the tunnels mined by Māori soldiers in Arras, France – featuring three brothers from the same whanau – as well as a two-part story about the Australian Prime Minister’s apology to the stolen generation of Aborigines and the ‘tent’ embassy in Canberra. A special report will also look at the grave robbers who stole body parts from the son of Kawiti and which are now known to be held in a European museum.

“NATIVE AFFAIRS dishes up debate, analysis, opinion and insight by getting to the core of the most challenging stories in Aotearoa today and bringing these important issues – from a Māori perspective – into the homes of all New Zealanders,” Mr Nathan says. “Indigenous stories from international sources also feature in the line-up and include news, views and interviews from throughout the Pacific.”

For educational, informed and serious current affairs, tune in to NATIVE AFFAIRS on Māori Television every Monday at 8.00 PM from April 28.

Ends

Vanessa Horan
Kaiwhakahaere Whakapā
Communications Manager
Māori Television
DDI: +64 9 539 7159
MOB: +64 21 928 007
EML: vanessa.horan@maoritelevision.com