Instant connection to the Māori world is one swipe closer today with the launch of two new apps from Māori Television.
The mobile apps, Te Ao Māori News and Māori TV, will drive important alerts and messages to communities faster and provide free access to breaking news, favourite shows, documentaries and live events direct to digital devices.
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson, said he fully supported the digital direction.
“The more informed our communities are, the safer we are as a people and as a nation,” he said.
“It’s right that Māori Televisions lead the charge for Māori news and content in the digital space. I’d like to acknowledge Māori TV in this great step forward for the future.”
Māori Television Tāhuhu Rangapū Shane Taurima said the apps were user-focused with dual language support for all, connecting whānau to communities, New Zealanders to each other and the world to te ao Māori.
“No matter where people are on their reo Māori language journey, they can learn with us at any time from the comfort of their own space on their own device. For others it’s a doorway to a unique world that’s on our doorstep,” Taurima said.
“Importantly, it is instant information, alerts and updates for our communities – especially in an era of Covid-19. Māori Television was a core communicator during lockdowns and can now deliver even faster if needed.”
The new Te Ao Māori News app includes alerts for breaking news and live events, social media sharing and access to the latest from the Māori Television newsroom. Users can access it by downloading via the Apple App or Google Play stores.
The second Māori TV app opens access to content across multiple genres. Users can choose playlists, save their favourites or stream to any screen using airplay or chromecast. More features will roll out in the coming months. The refreshed Māori TV app replaces the previous Connect App that will update automatically. New users can also head to the App Store.
Must-see viewing begins immediately with Māori Television’s special Week of Waitangi launching this Sunday, January 31. Acclaimed documentaries and productions such as Children of the Revolution; Waitangi: What Really Happened; Herbs - Songs of Freedom and NZ Wars: The Stories of Ruapekapeka are among the line-up of distinct stories of Aotearoa.