Iwi radio needs more funds

The 21 iwi radio stations that make up Te Whakaruruhau o Nga Irirangi Maori, or the Maori Radio Network, have told the Maori Affairs Select Committee that current government funding is only enough to get by, but not enough to thrive.

The Network has asked the government to increase its funding by 35 per cent and recognise the invaluable cultural and social impacts the network has. In the last 2014 budget, the Maori Radio Network received $12 million over four years under the funding entity of Te Mangai Paho.

Rawiri Waru from Te Arawa Radio said that wasn’t a lot once spread over 21 radio stations, and the network now had an annual funding shortfall of $200,000.

Waru said iwi radio stations were more than just public broadcasters: “We have become the repositories of whakapapa, matauranga Maori, hitori and trusted sources of information, Maori mai, Pakeha mai.

“We have an undying willingness to test and explore new ways of doing things but the lack of resources for Maori radio needs to be addressed.