AGENDA ITEM 2.8
PIJF - TMP CO-FUND – MĀORI REGIONAL NEWS
FUNDING DECISIONS

RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee (SIC) approves funding of up to:
•  $420,850 to Te Reo Irirangi o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa for Kapu Tairāwhiti   subject to confirmation of TMP’s
approval of the application and its contribution being at least 23% of the funding for the project.
•  $836,000 to  Te Reo Irirangi o Taranaki Charitable Trust for Te Reo o Te Uru Regional News subject to
confirmation of TMP’s approval of the application and its contribution being at least 23% of the funding for
the project.
Two projects recommended for total funding of up to $1,256,850.

BACKGROUND
1.
This  proposal  supports  the  continuation  of  a  pilot  Iwi  Radio  Regional  News  initiative  established  under  Te
Māngai Pāho (TMP) in 2020. The initiative was created in response to the COVID-19 lockdown and the need for
Māori communities to have trusted sources of Māori news with Māori perspectives.
2.
Additional funding allowed TMP to develop a six-month Regional News Hub pilot scheme with four hubs which
started in April 2021 and was then extended until June 2022. With no indication TMP would be able to continue
funding the scheme out of its baseline funding, and with the PIJF having a mandate to serve Māori and Iwi
journalism,

5.
At around the same time in May 2022, the Minister of Māori Development indicated that TMP would receive
additional support to continue and expand the Regional News Initiative. It is understood that $10m is to be
provided across two years 2023-24/2024-2025.
under the Official Information Act
7.
TMP suggested a co-fund arrangement would be the best way to fund such an ambitious, large-scale initiative
with ambitions to grow. On June 9, staff recommended to SLT that the PIJF set aside $3m to co-fund Māori
Regional News Hubs to be administered by TMP. TMP would in turn invest $10m spread over two years.
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STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 12 JUNE 2023 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: FUNDING MANAGEMENT | SIC | 2023-06-12 SIC MEETING | AGENDA ITEM 2.8

9.
In the meantime, TMP has continued to keep the News Hubs afloat by extending their contracts, the most
current of which will end on the 31st of June 2023.
10.
The  RFP  for  Māori  Regional  News  opened  on  7  April  2023.  By  the  deadline  of  Friday  19  May  2023  four
applications had been received totalling $3,701,098. Of those, two are under $1m and are being considered by
the SIC and two are being considered by the Board. The TMP Board will meet on 15 June to decide on its funding.
11.
While the TMP funding will run over two years (23/24 – 24/25), the PIJF has finished and needs to complete its
allocation before July 2023. For this reason, TMP has suggested that the PIJF co-funding be used in 2023 to fund
existing hubs in phase one and a second RFP encouraging an expansion of new hubs to be fully funded by TMP
from 2024 onwards. The breakdown of this allocation is as follows:
• FY23-24: $3m via PIJF and $3.5m via TMP ($6.5m total funding)
• FY24-25: $6.5m via TMP
GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Kapu Tairāwhiti
Te Reo Irirangi o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa
  $420,850
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
Executive Producer
TVNZ, Whakaata Māori
Production Producer
TVNZ, Whakaata Māori
Synopsis
12.
‘Kapu Tairāwhiti’ is the third season of Tūranga FM’s popular bilingual parakuihi (breakfast) online show. 60 x
9’ airing from November 2023 to May 2024.
General Assessment
13.
This proposal is for the continuation of a television style studio breakfast news and current affairs show which
is  a  collaboration  between  iwi  radio  stations  Tūranga  FM,  Radio  Ngāti  Porou  and  Radio  Ngāti  Kahungunu
focused on Tairāwhiti (East Coast).
14.
It  is  hosted  by  two  well-known  Māori  broadcasters,
,  and  includes  live
interviews,  news  and  videoed  segments.  Its  flexible  format  allows  the  programme  to  respond  to  what’s
happening in the communities along the East Coast.
15.
The programme is aired online, via Iwi station Facebook pages and Instagram and it is trialling TikTok.
16.
The programme runs training wānanga for staff at all the collaborating stations to upskill them and the proposal
included the rundown of a recent three-day intensive training course run for Radio Ngāti Porou. Nurturing and
under the Official Information Act
building media capability in this region is seen as a key output of the programme and the applicant gives the
example of one staff member who has developed from a sound operator to a studio director and compile editor.
17.
The proposal also includes a te reo Māori plan and the content varies from full te reo in the Me Maringi te Tī
(Let’s spill the tea) segment to Paramanwa (snack) video segments which are bilingual.
18.
The proposal outlines a detailed production schedule starting 11 September 2023 which includes nine weeks of
pre-production shooting and 29 weeks on air, finishing in May 2024.
19.
Performance data is not clear in the proposal however Facebook data provided suggests an audience reach of
Released
31,000. This would be supplemented by the social media channels of collaborating stations.
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STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 12 JUNE 2023 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: FUNDING MANAGEMENT | SIC | 2023-06-12 SIC MEETING | AGENDA ITEM 2.8

20.
The budget summary
is as follows:
Description
Budget
Wages and salaries
$137,100
Operations
$55,750
Production costs
$208,000
Producer/other contribution
$20,000
21.  Letters of support are included in the proposal from Radio Ngāti Porou and Radio Kahungunu.
Staff Opinion
22.  Staff was impressed by the professionalism of this online show which gives the comparable television breakfast
shows a run for their money.
23.  The collaborators know their audience well and believe a positive, entertaining news format can attract Māori
audiences  and  still  deliver  key  information,  “We  know  the  traditional  centralised  news  format  based  on
authority figures delivering breaking stories with a negative bias, doesn’t resonate with our “Tomo mai, me
maringi te tī” audience…The usual Māori news smorgasbord of throw-away ‘follow the pack’ stories, Wellington
beltway politics and rugby ad nauseam isn’t translating to eyes on screens despite the huge expense. “
25.  Staff believes the recent floods demonstrate the need for local media more than ever and this programme
serves to not only inform and connect East Coast regional communities but also provides a collaborative, vital
training  ground  to  build  Māori  media  capability.  Funding  is  recommended  up  to  $420,850  subject  to
confirmation of TMP’s approval of the application and its contribution being at least 23% of the funding for
the project.
Te Reo o Te Uru Regional News
Te Reo Iririangi o Taranaki Charitable Trust

$836,000
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
Executive Producer / Station Manager
Production Producer
under the Official Information Act
Whanganui reporter / Programme director
Te Reo Maori Consultant
Synopsis
26.  Te Reo o Te Uru proposes the continuation of an Iwi Radio Regional News Service which covers the rohe of Te
Kāhui Maunga including Taranaki, Whanganui, Ruapehu, Rātana and Rangitāne/Manawatū.
General Assessment
27.
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Te Reo o Te Uru is a collaboration led by Te Korimako o Taranaki based in Ngāmotu New Plymouth and includes
AWA FM based in Whanganui and KIA ORA FM in Manawatū.

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STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 12 JUNE 2023 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: FUNDING MANAGEMENT | SIC | 2023-06-12 SIC MEETING | AGENDA ITEM 2.8

28.  The proposal would see the news hub supported from June 2023 to July 2024. Te Reo o Te Uru has been a part
of the successful regional news hub project from the start in March 2021 creating more than 400 video reports
over the course of 100 weeks.
29.  The proposal suggests an increase in outputs to include written articles and increased production from four to
five days a week. The outputs would be 15 stories (3’-4’ mins duration) per week:
•  5 video news stories per week
•  5 audio reports for on-air play
•  5 written articles
30.  Along with three experienced reporters across the regions, training clusters will be created to help upskill other
staff.
31.  Te Korimako o Taranaki has also been funded by the PIJF to provide a journalism training programme Te Ia Ka
Oho which is currently working with five cadets. This project will complete in October 2023.
32.  One  of  the  essential  components  of  the  kaupapa  of  Te  Reo  o  Te  Uru  is  support  of  te  mita  o  Taranaki  me
Whanganui (the unique dialects of these regions). A Te Reo Māori consultant is responsible for signing off all
Māori language content and a detailed Te Reo Māori strategy outlines an action plan to increase  capacity of
speakers and professional development. All content created is available for use across the various iwi radio
stations and platforms within the Hub.
33.  Facebook continues to be the main platform with previous viewership said to be

Content is also delivered via YouTube and Instagram.


34.  The proposal included letters of support from local iwi Ngāti Ruanui, Te Kāhui o Taranaki, Te Kāhui Maru, Ngā
Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Ngā Tangata Tiaki o Whanganui, Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust, and Ngāti Mutunga.  This
comment was indicative from Mitchell Ritai of Ngāti Mutunga “The whanau often comment and appreciate that
news stories are being broadcast with a Māori lens and the use of te reo Māori, either spoken or written, provides
opportunities to build vocabulary and improve one’s ability to speak quality te reo Māori and te reo o Taranaki.”
35.  The proposal includes a detailed production schedule beginning in July 2023 and running through to June 2024.
The budget summary is as follows:
Description
Budget
Wages and salaries
$796,000
Operations
$20,000
Production costs
$20,000
under the Official Information Act
Producer/other contribution
$81,400
Staff Opinion
36.  This news project is strongly rooted in the realm of public interest journalism. Staff notes that the content they
produce maintains a high level of professionalism, and they are disappointed that it does not receive greater
visibility.  Nevertheless,  the  primary  objective  of  this  project  is  to  cater  to  the  residents  of  the
Taranaki/Manawatū  and  Whanganui  regions,  and  the  staff  members  are  confident  that  this  goal  is  being
successfully accomplished.
37.

Released  Considering the higher outputs anticipated, this represents good value for money.
38.  The team involved are experienced Māori broadcasters and their desire to train and upskill others will provide
a vital increase in capacity for the sector more widely.
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STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 12 JUNE 2023 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: FUNDING MANAGEMENT | SIC | 2023-06-12 SIC MEETING | AGENDA ITEM 2.8

39.  Staff  found  this  to  be  a  well-articulated  proposal  from  a  professional  news  service  that  is  delivering  to  its
community and recommend  one-year further funding of up to $836,000  subject to confirmation of TMP’s
approval of the application and its contribution being at least 23% of the funding for the project.
under the Official Information Act
Released
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STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 12 JUNE 2023 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: FUNDING MANAGEMENT | SIC | 2023-06-12 SIC MEETING | AGENDA ITEM 2.8

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