Appointments to the National Pacific Radio Trust Board

Appointments to the Board of the National Pacific Radio Trust were announced today by Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey.

The Board is responsible for running NiuFM, the nationwide Pacific radio network which began broadcasting in August 2002

Steve Maharey said he was appointing Maureen Passmore and Michelle Saisoa’a to the Board and appointing existing member Tino Pereira as Vice-Chair of the Trust Board.

“NiuFM has quickly developed a distinctive style of broadcasting which is striking a chord with listeners. Market research indicates that 66 per cent of its listenership are Pacific peoples and that close to half (44 per cent) of Pacific people under 25 years are regular listeners. NiuFM has also recently introduced specialist language and other programming to broaden its audience.

“The station came in to its own during Cyclone Heta which devastated Samoa, Niue and Tonga. NiuFM provided extensive news coverage of the cyclone to Pacific peoples in New Zealand and raised over $50,000 for those islands.

“New trustees are being appointed to the National Pacific Radio Trust board to ensure it has the right mix of skills and fully reflects the Pacific communities the station serves: Michelle Saisoa’a lectures at the School of Mâori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies of the University of Otago and has done considerable research into issues pertaining to New Zealand-born Pacific peoples; and Maureen Passmore has a twenty year background in television and film production and events management.

“Tino Pereira has been a valuable member of the Trust Board since its establishment and is being appointed as its Vice-Chair. He has a background in Pacific journalism and his location in Wellington will facilitate the Trust’s work,” Steve Maharey said.

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