FIRST 100 DAYS OF MĀORI TELEVISION

Māori Television has gone from strength to strength in its first hundred days of broadcasting. Launched on 28 March 2004, the channel has exceeded the expectations of many viewers with its fresh, indigenous palette of programming.

Viewer favourites include Mitre 10 Marae DIY, Korero Mai, Kai Time on the Road, Mau Mahara and the Sunday movies.

Now Māori Television’s flagship news programme TE KĀEA is extending its timeslot to cater for the demand for more Māori news. Starting tonight, TE KĀEA will run for half an hour instead of twenty minutes, from 8.30 pm to 9.00 pm.

Producer Te Anga Nathan, says the move reflects the ongoing development of Māori Television’s news service and the strong performance from the team at TE KĀEA.

”Our aim is to be the leading Māori news service in Aotearoa,” says Nathan. “We also want to provide cutting edge news about mainstream stories from a Māori perspective, both locally and internationally.”

Longer, in-depth stories on Māori issues will be explored in another section of Māori Television’s news and current affairs department.

Beginning this Wednesday (7 July at 9.00 pm), pioneer broadcaster Wena Harawira will present Māori Television’s new bilingual current affairs show TE HĒTERI.

The cut and thrust of Māori politics sets the scene for the first episode of TE HĒTERI on the eve of the Tai Hauauru by-election. Paul Diamond (a Qantas Award winning reporter for RNZ and author of Fire in the Belly, which profiled Māori leadership) reviews the new Māori Party and looks at how other parties and Māori MPs have survived in politics. Harawira will also interview party leader, Pita Sharples, about the challenges faced by the new party.

Investigative, insightful and indigenous – TE HĒTERI wraps up with Māori satire from Waihoroi Shortland. His ‘Te Kai a te Rangatira’ segment will poke fun at the issues and newsmakers of the day – some of whom will be very fast moving targets!

PROGRAMMES COMING UP

AROHA – Monday 5 July at 9.30 pm

The second instalment of Māori love stories from the AROHA series premieres on Māori Television tonight at 9.30 pm. Written by award winning writer, Briar Grace-Smith, her story TIARE stars Taungaroa Emile, Stacey Daniels and Veeshayne Armstrong. Everybody loves Charlie (Taungaroa Emile), the sweet, shy young Rasta. He’s in love with Erana (Stacey Daniels), but can he ever tell her? He’s keeping a secret from his sister (Veeshayne Armstrong), who has love troubles of her own. And he’s trying to help his father (Te Rangihau Gilbert), who discovers it’s never too late for love. Māori language.

NGA ANAHERA PONO – Tuesday 6 July at 7.30 pm

The answers to many of life’s spiritual problems are revealed on Māori clairvoyance programme NGA ANAHERA PONO. Each week a panel of clairvoyant women answers letters written in by women seeking help from the physical and spiritual dimensions. The panel uses tarot cards and a spiritual medium to offer the home viewer comfort and advice.

WILD SOUTH: KEA – MOUNTAIN PARROT - Wednesday 7 July at 7.00 pm

Meet the ultimate lead character in a nature film, a parrot that lives high in the mountains amidst rock and snow. An intelligent and bold creature dubbed by many "clown of the Alps". Māori language.

CHRISTCHURCH PRIMARY SCHOOL FESTIVAL
Saturday and Sunday 10 And 11 July at 2.30 pm

An 18 part series showcasing more than 50 Christchurch primary and intermediate schools and culture groups. The CHRISTCHURCH PRIMARY SCHOOL FESTIVAL has been running for more than 25 years and is an important link to the past for the families and participants who take part each year.

NGA PATITI MAOTA O TE KAINGA – Thursday 9 July at 7.00 pm

Remember when Māori were exporting big bands to the world like The Quintikis, The Hi Fives and The Hi Marks? Their era may be over, but many of them are making a comeback on Māori Television’s golden oldies show NGA PATITI MAOTA O TE KAINGA. Presented by Ben Tawhiti and Lois McIver.

CROSSFIRE – Sunday 11 July at 9.30 pm

Sparks fly when a love affair begins between a young couple from two warring nations on CROSSFIRE: A JEWISH VENDETTA (Hebrew with English subtitles). It is 1948 and the British are pulling out of Palestine. Jews and Arabs are busy preparing for an unavoidable conflict – a war over what is soon to become Israel. When Miriam and George meet by accident at a British border they fall in love at first sight – much to the disapproval of their family and friends.

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 19, 5 - 12 July 2004