Māori Television Launches 28 March 2004

Tena koutou katoa and welcome to Māori Television's first
e-newsletter. Our aim is to inform you on a regular basis about developments with the channel and the people who are making it happen.

This is an exciting and challenging time, and we look forward to launching Māori Television on Sunday, 28 March 2004.

Our programming schedule is cutting edge, fresh and exciting. Viewers will see people, events and ideas, which reflect the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand. Whether it's primetime news, sports, current affairs, music, lifestyle, drama, and movies, Māori Television has something to interest everyone.

We have assembled programmes made by Māori broadcasting companies whose creative skill is outstanding. Drawing on the work of other indigenous broadcasters you'll also see programmes from the Pacific Islands, Africa, South America, Wales, Ireland, and Asian and Inuit nations.

No matter where in the world you live, no matter what part of the country you belong to, no matter what your age, gender, or background - Māori Television is for you.

Ani Waaka
Chief Executive
Maori Television

Our Programming

Māori Television is a bilingual channel and subtitles make it accessible to everyone.

The following programmes are a small sample of what we'll offer:

News

Te Kaea is Māori news and the news in Māori presented each night by Ngārimu Daniels. Te Kaea is for all New Zealanders and covers local and international indigenous issues. It also gives valuable insight into Māori issues and a Māori perspective of other news stories of the day.

Sports

Julian Wilcox hosts the nightly sports segment. Get the latest in Māori sports news plus the best sports action, highlights and information from New Zealand and the world.

Current Affairs

Keep up with the latest in politics, business, technology and social matters on Te Hateri, a half hour weekly current affairs programme featuring live and extended interviews with audience polls, viewer feedback and authoritative commentary.

Māori Classics

Take a look back at some classic Kiwi favourites on Māori Television with Billy T. James, Prince Tui Teka and other popular shows from our archives.

Lifestyle

Mitre 10 Marae DIY gives whanau a helping hand to renovate their marae. Meet the people who keep the marae alive and hear about the traditions and history that make the marae, hapa and rohe so unique.

Youth

Coast is a funky young live audience show featuring original New Zealand music, musicians, singers and artists.

Education

Korero Mai gives learners of Maori language the basics in standard pronunciation and everyday conversation. Or you can use what you know and increase your skill on a regular basis with our tutors. It's fun and easy.

Movies

We'll feature a range of New Zealand's best movies, such as Ngati (directed by Barry Barclay).

Drama

There's no time for lengthy scene setting, character development or drawn out effects in ShortEnz, a compilation of New Zealand short films made between 1970 and 2002 and featuring interviews with the filmmakers.

Culture

Hinewehi Mohi presents this series on Kapa Haka including highlights from the Super 12 Kapa Haka, ASB secondary schools festival and regional kapahaka competitions.

Our Presenters

Māori Television programming will have a strong line up of presenters from all ages and backgrounds.

Our news and sports presenters are:

Ngārimu Daniels

Ngārimu Daniels (Tuhoe, Te Arawa, Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara) fronts the nightly news programme Te Kaea . She has a background as a Māori language newsreader and reporter with the radio news service, Ruia Mai. She was a finalist in the 2002 NZ Radio Awards for the best newsreader - the first time a Maori language newsreader had been nominated for a mainstream award.

She grew up speaking Māori in Ruatoki in the Bay of Plenty. When she was nine, her family moved to England for a year where she performed in a chorus of Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of Evita - her introduction to acting. Her film and television credits include an acclaimed performance as Pohia in the movie, The Māori Merchant of Venice and the Māori language television dramas Maui Potiki and Aroha.

Julian Wilcox

Julian Wilcox (Nga Puhi, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa) presents the Sport segment for Maori Television. He first entered broadcasting as a Te Aute College student announcing for Hawke's Bay iwi radio station, Te Reo Irirangi o Ngati Kahungunu.

His work in radio continued with the Wellington iwi radio station Te Upoko O Te Ika while he studied at Victoria University.

Julian moved into television working on the Maori arts programme Mataora. In 2001 he joined the Maori news team on Te Karere providing news and political commentary from the Wellington region. He was the host for the Māori language sports programme on Auckland's Radio Waatea and last year won the Māori Sports Media Award for best Māori radio sports commentaries in the Māori language.

Rongomaiāniwaniwa Milroy

Rongomaiāniwaniwa Milroy (Tuhoe, Te Arawa) joins Māori Television as a news reader for the weekend news. Niwa was raised in Hamilton and her father, Professor Wharehuia Milroy, made a point of ensuring the only language he spoke to her as she was growing up was Māori.

Her career has reflected her upbringing in te reo - as a kaiawhina at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa in Auckland, as a presenter and voice for a collection of Māori animated cartoons, in her study of acting and for a Degree in Māori Development specialising in television.

Getting to Air

Our daily schedule is:

Tuning in to Māori Television

Viewers can tune in to Māori Television in five ways:

To receive Māori Television via the UHF frequency, viewers need to have a UHF aerial and be within the coverage area.

Via Satellite

If viewers are not within our UHF coverage area, they can access Māori Television via satellite by purchasing a satellite dish and receiver from their local television aerial installation service.

SKY Digital subscribers will find Māori Television on Channel 33 of their SKY remotes. They can tune in to Channel 33 now to catch highlights of programmes on Māori Television.

SKY UHF subscribers will find Māori Television on button 6 of their SKY remotes.

Via Saturn TV
If you receive Saturn TV, you can tune into Māori Television through channel button 33. Saturn Customers please: leave your decoders switched on to be able to receive this channel.

For More Information

Check our website www.maoritelevision.com or for guidance on how to tune-in call 0800 MA TATOU ( 0800 62 82868 )

Issue 1, 01 March 2004

1. Our Programming
2. Our Presenters
3. Getting to Air
4. Tuning in to Maori Television
5. For More Informaiton

Comment From Board Chairman

Kia ora and welcome to Māori Television - your television, our television!

Over time people have shared with us their hopes for Māori Television and what it could deliver. Common themes have emerged. People said Māori Television was an opportunity to nation build; that it should make a powerful and positive contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand and celebrate our country's unique bilingual heritage.

Thanks to the commitment and hard work of many people over a long time, Māori Television is now on air! Māori Television is led by a senior management team who have exemplary backgrounds in broadcasting, education, te reo Māori, journalism and finance.

We know people have high expectations and there's a great sense of pride about the channel. The Māori Television Board, management and staff share that pride. We look forward to delivering Māori Television that is world class, and celebrates our uniqueness.

Māori Television - mā rātou, mā mātou, mā koutou, mā tātou.

Māori Television - for them, for us, for you, for everyone.

Wayne Walden
Chairman
Māori Television