Māori Television Launches New Schedule And Programming

Māori Television has announced an exciting new schedule, effective from today.

A brand new schedule sees the channel broadcasting until later each day, the moving of key programmes to more appealing timeslots, the addition of a one-hour morning children’s slot and several exciting new programmes premiere.

Key changes are:

• Daily broadcasts start at the later time of 4.00PM;
• Māori Television broadcasts each day until the later time of 11.30PM;
• Language learning programme KŌRERO MAI moves to the earlier timeslot of 7.00PM while also launching repeats from episode one at 10.30 PM from Monday November 1;
• News programme TE KĀEA moves to the earlier timeslot of 7.30PM and will be repeated with English language sub-titles at 11.00 PM.
• Weekly current affairs programme TE HĒTERI moves to the earlier timeslot of 8.00PM every Wednesday.

Māori Television General Manager Reo and Programming Tawini Rangihau says the new schedule will build on the success of the launch schedule in initially attracting viewers. The changes ensure that the primetime hours of 6.00PM to 8.00PM have a reo Māori component of approximately 90%.

The new schedule is designed in such a way that 8.00PM signals the start of evening viewing when viewers can settle in for a night of lifestyle, entertainment and current affairs programmes. Tuesday nights on Māori Television become international documentary nights, Wednesday nights become Māori treasure trove night and Thursday nights are New Zealand documentary nights.

Also, the new schedule features the inclusion of an hour of children’s television each week-day morning. MANU RERE, the Māori language series based on kōhanga reo, will broadcast in the special timeslot of 10.00AM to 11.00AM in a move designed to make the programme more accessible to kōhanga reo as a teaching aide.

“Our launch schedule has been very effective in inviting people to tune in, and has given us an audience base to build on. It is now time to look at what we might be able to improve on to better suit our audience and ensure we continue to attract and keep them,” Ms Rangihau says.

Māori Television Highlights

Monday November 1 to Wednesday November 3

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF MOKO TOA – Monday November 1 at 4.00 PM – PREMIERE

Dynamic characters, wondrous creatures and talking carvings come alive in these five minute dramas where Moko Toa – the first Māori superhero – faces off against the evil Hara to save Hawaiki. This will continue to screen at 4.00 PM weekdays (Monday to Friday).

ANIMAL NUMBERS – Monday November 1 at 4.25 PM – PREMIERE

Reversioned into te reo Māori, the series presents a fun and exciting way for preschoolers to learn about numbers. This will continue to play at 4.25 pm weekdays (Monday to Friday).

TE HAERENGA – Monday November 1 at 6.30 PM – PREMIERE

On the cards for the second Te Haerenga roadshow travelling series are top waka ama team Moana Nui Mermaids at the Tauranga Harbour Challenge, boxer Steven Heremaia on his way to the Olympics in Athens , The Steady Beat Rockers touring from Wanganui to make their first music video and more.

NGĀ HAU TIPUA – Monday November 1 at 8.30 PM – NEW TIME

Keep tuning in to follow the latest in sports news and action from New Zealand and the world with host Julian Wilcox.

WAKA HUIA - Wednesday November 3 at 8.30 PM –
MĀORI TELEVISION PREMIERE

 
Waka Huia , an archival documentary series, premieres with the Tūmatauenga Part One episode – the first of a two part programme which looks at the skills a Māori warrior had to learn in his pursuit of the ways of Māori martial arts.

KAPA HAKA – Tuesday November 2, Wednesday November 3 and Thursday November 4 at 6.00 PM – NEW TIME

Hinewehi Mohi will continue to present the best of traditional and contemporary Māori performing arts, with this week featuring performances from Iharaia, Te Hokowhitu a Tū and the Waipatu Māori Club at the 1992 Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival. Kapa Haka will continue to screen at 6.00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

PĒPI – Tuesday November 2 at 8.00 PM – NEW TIME

A 'fly-on-the-wall' series that follows four first time couples during the first year of their babies' lives, this week’s episode includes the first birth in the series, as Kataraina discovers that nothing has prepared her for giving birth to her first child.

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 36, 1 - 3 November 2004

1. Māori Television Launches New Schedule And Programming
2. Programmes Coming Up
3. Getting To Air
4. Tuning in to Māori Television
5. More Information

THE MĀORI MERCHANT OF VENICE MAKES NEW ZEALAND TELEVISION PREMIERE ON MĀORI TELEVISION

Māori Television is set to become the first New Zealand broadcaster to screen the acclaimed feature film THE MĀORI MERCHANT OF VENICE, scheduled for this Sunday November 7 at 8.30 PM.

THE MĀORI MERCHANT OF VENICE takes a fresh look at William Shakespeare’s 400 year-old play The Merchant of Venice, and was last seen in cinemas when it was released in February 2002. It was the first Shakespearean film to be produced in New Zealand and the first Māori language feature film to be released.

The He Taonga Films-made drama is scheduled to be shown in two parts on Māori Television, with part one screening on Sunday November 7 at 8.30 PM and part two screening on Sunday November 14 at 8.30 PM.

The opulent designs, costumes and dramatic music interweave Shakespearean elements with Māori arts in a rich, textured and modern context, according to the creative vision of renowned director Don Selwyn.

The film uses Shakespeare’s plot and characters, played out by a cast of talented Māori actors, including Waihoroi Shortland (Shylock / Hairoka), Ngarimu Daniels (Portia / Pohia), Scott Morrison (Antonio / Anatonio), Te Rangihau Gilbert (Bassanio / Patanio), Veeshayne Armstrong (Nerissa / Nerita) and more.

In the original play, the Jewish money-lender Shylock lends money to young Venetian Bassanio so that he can woo a wealthy woman, Portia. Bassanio’s friend, the merchant Antonio, stands as guarantor for the loan. Shylock, as revenge for years of mistreatment by Antonio and his Christian friends, demands that the bond be a pound of Antonio’s flesh. When Antonio’s ships are lost at sea and he cannot repay the loan, Shylock pursues his revenge to the court, seeking the pound of flesh rather than the money. Portia disguises herself as a young lawyer and cleverly argues the letter of the law, winning the case for Antonio. Revenge, it seems, is not so sweet.

The play was first translated into te reo Māori in 1945 by Dr Pei Hurinui Jones, who wanted to make the beauty of Shakespeare’s language accessible to Māori.

See the glorious end result on the New Zealand television premiere of THE MĀORI MERCHANT OF VENICE on Māori Television, Sunday November 7 at 8.30 PM .