National network starts in Auckland

Tu Tangata, Issue 33, 1 December 1986, Page 10

National network starts in Auckland

TAKAPUAHIA HUI

The Maori radio network as proposed by Radio New Zealand and, in effect, endorsed by the Takapuahia hui starts with an Auckland station in October, 1988. Then it is to be joined by three other stations in Wellington, Bay of Plenty and Christchurch. And, as demand dictates, tribal stations may be set up in Taitokerau, East Cape, Taranaki, Ruakawa, Waikato, East Coast, Wanganui, Murihiku, Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and Whakatu.

The plan is that the station should broadcast the national Maori network when it suits them, or break in and broadcast their own local programmes. Bev Wakem told the hui that the service would start in Auckland and then operate in Wellington, Bay of Plenty and Christchurch because of the availability of spare radio frequencies with the strength to reach a good proportion of the Maori population. It is such an attractive scheme, and such an advance on present Maori broadcasting, that you might assume it

would have no Maori critics. In fact it does. A number of broadcasters, like Piripi Walker, aren’t at all impressed. Firstly, they doubt that the network plan can be delivered with anything like the speed or efficiency that’s suggested. On close inspection it looks strong on good intentions and weak on resources. That’s the kind of recipe that John Dyall warns against in this book “Maori Resources.” It’s a recipe for failure. Experienced Maori broadcasters are still in short supply and there’s no training programme geared to meet the demand or capable of supplying the experience.

Furthermore, the effort to staff and fund a big broadcasting operation in Auckland will inevitably soak up most of the resources need for the stations next in line.

It could be 1990 before there’s anything more than the Auckland station and the progress beyond that could be painfully slow.

Also, the critics are unconvinced that network broadcasting should be the top priority even if it were comfortably manageable.

Is it what Maori listeners want or need?

The experience of various short-term Maori stations in that local programming works because the listeners like what’s local, topical and lively and because the local energy makes it work.

If RNZ were to set up a series of lowcost, local stations, the Maori listeners might get more for their money, and get it more quickly than is possible from the hefty, high profile, high cost (and potentially low rating) Auckland based network.

It’s an approach the hui should have examined more closely, and one which the incoming board can’t afford to ignore.