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Barely a day after announcing a three-fold increase in its Maori programming, TVNZ has revealed plans to move the Maori news bulletin, Te Karere even further away from prime time.
The broadcaster announced last Friday plans to launch a new 4.30pm general news bulletin from September 24, which will push Te Karere to an earlier timeslot of 3.45pm, with repeats at midnight and 5.45am.
News of the move came after TVNZ said on Thursday it planned to treble the hours of Maori broadcasting to 490 a year.
TVNZ's general manager Maori programmes Whai Ngata said there was evidence to support Te Karere moving to an earlier timeslot as Maori had different viewing patterns to non-Maori.
"That's where Maori viewers are. There's still an audience for Maori viewers."
But the move has disgusted Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples.
He said Maori would have to get up at the crack of dawn to watch the show as they weren't home at 3.45pm and the new regime would effectively cut them off from a flagship show.
"Te Karere pays the price for them [TVNZ] wanting to get in first at 4.30pm before Prime News."
TVNZ figures suggest the 3.45pm time slot would catch just over 10 per cent of Maori viewers, while the 4.30pm slot captures slightly less than 15 per cent.
Mr Ngata said poor ratings were not the reason for moving the bulletin, as it was the best performing of all Maori-content programmes.
TVNZ also believes pushing Te Karere back would give it a strong afternoon presence leading up to the 6 o'clock News.
The increase in Maori programming is part of moves to bring Maori programming closer to TVNZ's core business.
To do that it would be seeking $11 million in funding, some of it from Te Mangai Paho, which has a contestable pool of $25 million.
However, Maori TV chief executive Jim Mather said the plan amounted to a direct threat to his station.
"This is a serious issue for Maori Television and for our future. Te Mangai Paho funding is expressly available to ensure the development of programming that supports the revitalisation of te reo Maori. Maori Television is reliant upon this funding as our primary source for programming content."
And he questioned why TVNZ needed to put their hands out for Te Mangai Paho funding when it already earned $334 million in advertising.
"Aside from the $334 million in revenue, TVNZ receives a total of ... $80 million per year in taxpayer funding. Now it intends to attack funding set aside for Maori language programming in order to produce programmes that Maori Television is already broadcasting."
TVNZ's public affairs manager Megan Richards rejected the attack theory, describing it as "ridiculous".
She said the $11 million TVNZ needs to make the programmes would come from New Zealand on Air, Te Mangai Paho and direct government funding.
