11 December 2001

Media release – Māori Affairs Committee

2000/01 Financial Review of Te Mangai Paho (the Māori Broadcasting Funding Authority)

Parliament’s Māori Affairs Committee yesterday tabled its report on the 2000/01 financial review of Te Mangai Paho in the House of Representatives.

Main areas examined by the committee were:

 Audit Office rating
 summary of funding levels
 focus on promoting both language and culture
 move towards mixed language programming
 audience research and development of the Strategic Research Framework
 audience targeted by programming
 information previously requested for inclusion in Annual Report
 hours of Māori language programming purchased
 Māori Television Service

The committee commends Te Mangai Paho for the excellent rating it received from the audit office for its financial and service performance management. Te Mangai Paho received an ‘excellent’ rating in all five categories.

The committee reiterates concerns expressed during last years financial review, that Te Mangai Paho’s programming excludes a large number of Māori that do not speak fluent Māori language. However, it commends the steps that Te Mangai Paho is taking to increase the accessibility of the programming it funds by forming alliances with other organisations. It hopes that the new Māori Television Service will also make programming more accessible to a wider audience.

The committee is pleased that Te Mangai Paho is attempting to improve the robustness of audience surveys but has concerns about the methodology utilised in audience surveys. It requests that Te Mangai Paho ensure its surveys reflect the views of all Māori communities. Without greater clarity about the methodology of surveys, the committee finds it difficult to determine if survey results show evidence of effectiveness in achieving statutory obligations and penetration of Māori broadcasting.

The committee looks forward to examining arrangements surrounding the establishment of the Māori Television Service during its consideration of the Māori Television Service Bill 2001.

Copies of the report are available at: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/publications

ENDS

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