Māori Television Service

Establishment

The Māori Television Service was established under its own Act in 2003 with the core purpose of ensuring that appropriate frequen-cies are reserved and applied for the purposes of upholding Māori language and culture through television.

Māori Television Service is a body corporate with perpetual succession. It has seven Directors, four being appointed by Te Pūtahi Pāoho, the Māori Electoral College, and three by Responsible Ministers (the Ministers of Finance and Māori Affairs). Members of Te Pūtahi Pāoho are appointed from a wide range of Māori organisations with particular responsibilities for Māori language and culture.

The Directors appointed by Te Pūtahi Pāoho are: Garry Muriwai (chair), Amohaere Houkāmau, Tahu Potiki and Cathy Dewes. The Directors appointed by the Crown are Wena Tait, Rod Cornelius and Wayne Walden. The Crown appointees are in their second terms.

Functions and Powers

The main statutory function of Māori Television Service is to promote Māori language and culture through the provision of a high quality, cost-effective Māori television service. In this way, Māori Television Service makes an important contribution to the Māori Language Strategy. It is required to broadcast in both Māori and English so as to inform, educate and entertain a broad viewing audience, and thereby to enrich New Zealand’s society, culture, and heritage. The service must ensure that during prime time it broadcasts mainly in te reo Māori, and it is expressly required to address the needs of people who are learn-ing Māori, and of children who are learning in Māori. A full range of operating powers for these purposes is provided in the Act.

Funding

Māori Television Service receives approximately $16.5 million per annum directly from the Government to meet its operating costs. It also receives $16 million from Te Māngai Pāho to fund in-house programme production.

It also receives some revenue from advertising, merchandising and the like.

Strategic Direction

Māori Television Service describes its two key long term major outcomes as being to “signifi-cantly contribute to te reo and tikanga Māori being increasingly valued and embraced”; and to be an “independent Māori television broadcaster that is successful with an assured future”. It pursues these goals by broadcasting a wide range of programmes in keeping with its purpose.

Key Issues

The key issue is the current review of the Māori Television Service Act (which is a statutory requirement, and is required to be reported by May 2009).