KEY POINTS:
To haka or not to haka? Should a stadium be built on the Auckland waterfront? Will Judy Bailey win another Qantas Award with Maori Television? Should the Maori Party have dinner with the Leader of the National Party? Will a Pacific Islander win the Maorioke contest?
These are questions which have been exercising the minds of people here at Maori Television recently. Some have been answered; some are yet to be answered. To me they are great examples of how Maori Television reflects all parts of our nation.
The principal role of Maori Television is the revitalisation of our reo (language) and tikanga (protocols). Every day on Maori Television you will see programmes striving to achieve this.
This commitment and our expertise in te reo and tikanga Maori gives us the ability to provide viewers with the most in-depth coverage and expert analysis on questions such as whether or not the All Blacks did the right thing about the haka in Wales.
It needs to be remembered that even in this internet age television still has the power to reach into the living rooms of almost every New Zealand household and deliver our messages. We do so in our unique way, not just to our people but to all other New Zealanders. It allows us to be inclusive and to reach out to everybody.
To be true to the kaupapa (foundation) of Maori Television we must be ourselves and tell our stories, open the window to te ao Maori (the Maori world) and share these views with the rest of the world.
Promoting the Maori perspective on all manner of issues is our special contribution to building nationhood and helping to define the cultural identity of New Zealand for all New Zealanders.
Our Anzac Day coverage was a fresh, unique and distinctively Maori approach to an issue that is precious to us all. This day-long coverage was a bold step forward for Maori Television, bringing together Judy Bailey and our own Wena Harawira for something that turned out to be incredibly special.
We were delighted and humbled when it won a Qantas Television Award for Best NZ Sports or Event Coverage, and Best Documentary in the TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice awards.
We know it worked from the huge amount of positive comment we received from New Zealanders from all walks of life.
It is this approach we will now apply to other key events that have a strong Maori kaupapa, such as Waitangi Day. We will continue to promote diversity and acceptance across all cultures by broadcasting programmes made by a range of indigenous peoples and ethnic groups.
You may have wondered why I mentioned the Auckland stadium issue. Maori are as interested in so-called mainstream news as any other group; also there is often a Maori perspective that can be told. Certainly under MMP, Maori and Maori issues are integral parts of the political landscape, and our news and current affairs teams provide a different view than other media.
I mentioned nationhood. What is nationhood? Why is it important? Why do we think Maori Television has a role to play in the development of national identity in Aotearoa-New Zealand?
The answer is that a sense of nationhood unites. It fosters pride, dignity and self-respect. It is about equality and celebration.
All of which will be evident in our coverage of Waitangi Day 2007, when we will focus not just on the political and historical issues but on the many celebratory events.
We are keen to find out what the day means to all Kiwis, both here and overseas, with the aim of re-positioning Waitangi Day as our day of celebrating our nationhood and the things that unite us.
Coming up to only our third anniversary since launch in March 2004, and having staked out our claim in New Zealand's broadcasting landscape, we are justifiably satisfied with our progress to date.
According to surveys conducted by research firm TNS Limited, 87 per cent of New Zealanders believe Maori Television should be a permanent feature of New Zealand broadcasting, based on our positioning as being the "face of Aotearoa-New Zealand". This is us defining our relevance, in our own unique and special way.
And as for Maorioke - will 25-year-old Tongan Mark Tohinui from South Auckland win? Tune in at 8.30 tomorrow night and see the things I have just mentioned in action in your living room.
* Jim Mather is chief executive of Maori Television.
