Radio Waatea General Manager Matthew Tukaki has today condemned Te Māngai Pāho’s decision to end funding for the national Māori radio news service, calling it a disgraceful failure that will leave communities without a critical source of information.

After nearly two decades of continuous service, the Te Reo Māori radio news bulletins will cease at midnight on 31 March 2026 — with no confirmed replacement in place.

Tukaki says the decision is not a transition, but a complete abandonment of Māori radio.

“This is not reform. This is not evolution. This is the outright cancellation of a service that has been built over decades and relied on by communities across the country,” he says.

“Many fought hard to establish this service — not just as a media product, but as a vital platform for te reo Māori, for information, and for connection. To simply switch it off with nothing ready to replace it is unacceptable.”

Te Māngai Pāho has cited a 25 percent funding reduction as the driver behind its decisions, but Tukaki says cutting a core service like radio news shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the role Māori radio plays.

“What is most alarming is that radio does not appear to have been factored into the future at all,” he says.

“The proposed alternative — Te Iho — is a platform that relies on internet and television access. That might work in theory, but it does not reflect the reality for many of our people.”

Tukaki says the decision risks excluding large parts of the Māori community, particularly those in rural and regional areas.

“Radio remains the most accessible, immediate, and trusted medium for many whānau. If you remove that, you are not modernising — you are cutting people off.”

He also warned the move could have serious implications in times of emergency.

“When disasters hit, it is Māori radio stations that stay on air. When the internet goes down, when cell towers fall, when television cannot reach into our communities — it is radio that delivers information that can save lives,” he says.

“To remove a national news service in that context is not just short-sighted — it is dangerous.”

Radio Waatea had offered to continue the service on an interim basis while a replacement was developed, but that offer was declined.

“We acted in good faith. We provided a practical, cost-effective solution to ensure continuity. That was rejected,” Tukaki says.

“The result is a complete gap — and that responsibility sits squarely with Te Māngai Pāho.”

Tukaki says Māori communities have every right to be angry.

“At a time when the sector is already facing deep funding cuts, to also strip away a foundational service like radio news is a betrayal of the very purpose Te Māngai Pāho was created to serve.”

He says the decision will have immediate impacts on staff, stations, and listeners across the Māori radio network.

“This is not just about one organisation. This is about the future of Māori broadcasting, the protection of te reo, and the ability of our people to access news in ways that work for them.”

Tukaki says further steps are now being considered, including engagement with the wider Māori radio network and stakeholders.

“This is a line in the sand moment. Māori radio has stood for decades as a backbone of communication, culture, and community. We will not let that be quietly dismantled.”

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