In its latest funding round, Te Māngai Pāhō has announced major changes to Māori news and current affairs funding, slashing more than half of Te Karere’s annual budget and not awarding any funding to current affairs programme The Hui.
The funding changes follow a recent request-for-proposal that did not provide a pathway to support Te Karere as a linear news programme. Its allocation has dropped from $2.7 million in the previous round to $1 million for supplementary roles in this round.
The Hui, which has run for more than 10 years, will not receive funding this round. Earlier this month Producer Rewa Harriman told 1News that the team will explore other funding options to keep the show online and on-air. The programme is part-funded by NZ On Air.
Te Māngai Pāhō chief executive Larry Parr says he is committed to supporting all providers through the transition to the new media landscape.
“While there are still challenges facing the sector, we believe we are better positioned to deliver news and current affairs which prioritises a Māori worldview and quality journalism,” Parr said.
“The decisions from the latest News and Current Affairs round represent the future direction of Māori media. Our goal has been to encourage collaboration, highlight regional journalism and ensure the content reaches people where they are.”
Whakaata Māori has been granted $1.5 million to establish a National News Hub, which will centrally store regional news content and manage access for approved platforms and publishers.
A total of $11 million has been granted in what Te Māngai Pāhō describes as an investment towards the growth of the Māori news and current affairs ecosystem for 2025/26.
Key funding decisions
News / Supplementary roles:
- Te Karere — TVNZ 1: up to $1,000,000
- ManiaTai Ltd — three supplementary roles: up to $494,620
Regional news (weekly production of stories, articles, radio content, live events):
- Pūkāea — Te Reo Irirangi o Te Mānuka Tūtahi (Tumeke FM, National Hub): up to $1,000,000
- Aukaha – Te Tai Pūkōrero — Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Inc. (Tainui Live, National Hub): up to $1,000,000
- Taioro — Te Reo Irirangi o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Tūranga FM, Taioro Te Pātaka Oro, National Hub): up to $850,000
- Te Kūkupa — Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o Te Ika (Te Hiku Media, National Hub): up to $850,000
- Te Reo o te Uru — Te Reo Irirangi o Taranaki Charitable Trust (Te Korimako o Taranaki, National Hub): up to $600,000
- Tahu News — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (Tahu FM, National Hub): up to $600,000
Current affairs:
- Marae 2026 — Pango Productions for TVNZ, 80% te reo Māori: up to $1,500,000
- Te Ao with Moana — Black Pearl Ltd for Whakaata Māori, 30% te reo Māori: up to $672,500
- Ruku — Te Noni Ltd for Iwi Radio, Whakaata Māori and Pasifika TV, 100% te reo Māori: up to $600,000
- Mata Series 4 — Aotearoa Media Collective for RNZ, 30% te reo Māori: up to $469,335
All funding decisions are subject to final negotiations between Te Māngai Pāhō and the applicant.
