NZ On Air's funding for Māori involvement and representation in broadcasting comes largely from the Television, Radio and NZ music budgets. In broad terms, NZ On Air supports Māori programming that is predominantly in English and is aimed at a general audience, of whom Māori are a part.
In television, NZ On Air encourages programme makers to include Māori language, culture and points of view whenever relevant in programmes of all genres.
In August 2000, NZ On Air launched a new strategy - Te Rautaki Māori - aiming to enhance the on-screen outcomes of mainstream Māori programming for television, and to improve the broadcast experience for Māori practitioners through better consultation and communication. This included the appointment of Te Kai Urungi, Tainui Stephens, to mentor Māori practitioners. This strategy was most recently updated in June 2008, and may be downloaded as a PDF by clicking on the link below.
Te Rautaki Māori June 2008 [PDF DOWNLOAD 87KB]
The Māori broadcasting agency, Te Māngai Pāho, used to be funded by an allocation of a percentage of Public Broadcasting Fees through NZ On Air. Since 1 July 2000, however, it has been funded directly by the Crown. The role of Te Māngai Pāho is to promote Māori language and culture in broadcasting, and its main focus has been to support television programmes in Te Reo.
NZ On Air liaises regularly with Te Māngai Pāho to share information and discuss funding policies. In recent years, NZ On Air has jointly funded a number of projects with Te Māngai Pāho including "Mataku", a series of Māori dramas.
Te Māngai Pāho can be contacted on (04) 915 0700, or by email at tmp@tmp.govt.nz
