Media Releases

Historic partnership agreement between RNZ and Te Whakaruruhau O Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori

Released at 12:27 pm on 31 August 2016

An historic partnership agreement was signed today between RNZ and Te Whakaruruhau O Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori, the network of Māori radio stations.

The Memorandum of Understanding will see both organisations working together for the benefit of the different audiences they serve.

This will include the sharing of existing content, the sharing of expertise and knowledge, and the development of joint projects which could not be done by each organisation working alone.

The initiative will help RNZ achieve its goals of increasing the diversity of its audiences and further enriching its content.

The 21 Māori radio stations which make up Te Whakaruruhau will get access to RNZ's trusted and high quality programming and journalism, as well as working with the RNZ news team to cover Māori stories in a more collaborative way. The result will be better for all audiences.

In addition, the iwi stations will be tapping into RNZ’s expertise at transforming itself from a radio broadcaster into a multimedia content creator.

Paul Thompson, chief executive of RNZ, says, “I am delighted that both RNZ and Te Whakaruruhau O Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori have made a long-term commitment to building on their joint relationship over time, making a lasting and mutually fruitful partnership.”

Willie Jackson, chairman of Te Whakaruruhau, feels that those in iwi radio are very pleased with this Memorandum of Understanding, adding, “I have been very critical of RNZ and their commitment to Māori programming but this partnership goes some way to meeting the obligations that RNZ has to Māori.”

ENDS