Māori Television formally opened its new premises at 433 East Tāmaki road, south Auckland early this morning - in a ceremony attended by the Minister for Māori Development Hon Te Ururoa Flavell and other Members of Parliament, iwi, local community representatives, schools and industry partners. The day began with dawn karakia – Te Tā i te Kawa - led by local kaumātua.
Chairman of the Māori Television Board, Georgina te Heuheu, says the opening has been an important opportunity to celebrate the new facilities with the south Auckland community- as well as key stakeholders including the newly formed Te Mātawai who represents iwi and Māori interests in the revitalisation of te reo Māori.
“We welcome all our communities to Whakaata Māori today to celebrate our new whare. We acknowledge the kōhanga reo, kura, other educational facilities and marae in the area that are already in the business of revitalising the language and culture. Our role of normalising the Māori language and culture, taking it into the homes of all New Zealanders via multi-platform devices - supports the language revitalisation efforts undertaken by Māori language communities, nationwide.”
“Our new building has a modern layout, providing collaborative working spaces for staff. It provides the space and flexibility to encompass new platforms and technologies to support Māori Television's purpose of revitalising te reo Māori in a fast changing digital environment. The building provides value for money, has access to arterial routes and to the airport and proximity to Māori communities and facilities.”
Today, Māori Television also celebrates the launch of its High Definition Transmission as part of its multi-platform strategy. The project is funded by a dedicated Budget 2016 allocation of $10.6m.
Mrs te Heuheu says the upgrade will give viewers a crisper and sharper picture on par with other major New Zealand broadcasters.
“This has been an important stepping stone in the progression of our multi-platform strategy. We will continue to invest in a range of digital offerings and platforms alongside our traditional linear platform. This ensures that Māori Television is delivering to the needs of all New Zealanders, whenever they want, wherever they are, and by whatever connected device they choose to use,” says Mrs te Heuheu
Māori Television was first launched on 28th March 2004 in Newmarket, Auckland. The Te Reo Channel was launched in 2008.
The official opening at 10am will be livestreamed at this address http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/to-tatou-whare-hou