Maori TV 'should be in both languages'

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Too many Maori television programmes are being made in the Maori language and not enough in English, says Parliament's Maori affairs select committee.

It says the Maori broadcasting funding agency, Te Mangai Paho, is not doing properly its statutory job of promoting Maori language and culture because virtually everything it finances is in Maori.

It was a unilateral decision which effectively alienated the 90 per cent of Maoridom who didn't speak Maori and the rest of New Zealand from Maori culture on television, said deputy chairman and Alliance MP Willie Jackson.

He blamed former Broadcasting Minister Marian Hobbs and Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia for not directing Te Mangai Paho to drop its policy.

"It's like talking to brick walls," he said.

"It would be good if the Prime Minister stepped in and did something about it. It's just been talk, talk, talk. Now we need some action in the Maori broadcasting area."

Mr Horomia refused to comment.

A unanimous report was tabled yesterday from the select committee, which includes Labour's John Tamihere as chairman and Act leader Richard Prebble.

It said Te Mangai Paho's goal of "revitalising" the Maori language was, in fact, the core function of the Maori Language Commission (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori).

Te Mangai Paho's job was to promote the language and culture.

"We believe that mixed English and Maori language programming is a more useful way of promoting the Maori language and culture because it caters for the range of skills that exist within the population for speaking and understanding the Maori language," the report said.

"Subtitling may also be helpful in achieving this."

A survey commissioned by the agency found that 86 per cent of Maori wanted mixed language programmes.

The audience for TVNZ's Marae programme on a Sunday had halved since it changed last year from a mixed Maori-English format to only Maori language.

Te Mangai Paho's annual report for the year to June last year shows it spent nearly $14 million on television funding, $5.8 million on Maori radio stations and $2.3 million on language radio programming.

One of its biggest recipients is TVNZ's daily Maori news programme Te Karere, which gets $1.9 million. Marae got $1.5 million.

Mr Jackson welcomed Helen Clark's involvement in the development of a Maori television channel. She said yesterday that an official's options paper had been completed and would be the subject of a cabinet paper.

Her officials from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet were bringing together advice from the Treasury, Te Puni Kokiri and broadcasting sectors.

Asked how long it would be before a policy was announced, she said: "As expeditiously as possible."