IT Company Unveils Maori Radio Webstreaming

Te 11 o nga ra o Whiringa-a-nuku 2003

PANUI PAPAHO / MEDIA STATEMENT

KI A:

Chief Reporters
Broadcasting Reporters
Maori Affairs Reporters

IT Company Unveils Maori Radio Webstreaming

An Auckland IT company has developed the first ever internet website to access all iwi radio station broadcasts.

StreamCom Limited works closely with the Maori broadcasting funding agency, Te Mangai Paho, and the national federation of Maori radio stations, Te Whakaruruhau o Nga Reo Irirangi Maori, to provide the Punga Net service.

Punga Net is a distribution/contribution network that allows more than 21 iwi stations and other providers to share audio with each other in real time and to collaborate in the production of Maori language programming.

Streamcom spokesman Simon Jackson says all iwi station feeds received at the Punga Net control centre in Auckland can now be accessed through the new website – www.irirangi.net. Listeners will have the ability to choose from 20 different Maori broadcasts rather than just their local iwi station.

“This is a project aimed at making these broadcasts available to a wider audience as the internet breaks down the geographic barriers associated with traditional radio transmission,” Mr Jackson says. “It’s hoped by providing a means for people to listen to Maori language on the internet we will encourage better audience participation. This will be especially true of the youth audience for whom the internet is becoming a common source of audio material.”

StreamCom focuses on providing IT and broadcast engineering support to the Maori broadcasting industry. The company also acts as the engineering and IT department for Mai Media Limited and its radio stations – Mai FM 88.6 in Auckland, Mai FM 96.7 in Rotorua, Mai FM 97.8 in Whangarei and the national Maori language radio service, Ruia Mai – as well as a number of other iwi radio stations.

ENDS

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