Maori Television’s new reo Maori channel will be officially launched at a dawn ceremony at 5.00 AM on Friday March 28 before its first, live-to-air broadcast from the gala dinner of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference in Auckland later that night.

Staff, stakeholders and delegates at the three-day international conference will attend the early-morning karakia and unveiling of a plaque at the station’s Newmarket, Auckland, headquarters exactly four years after the on-air launch of New Zealand’s national indigenous broadcaster.

At 8.00 PM, an hour-long live-to-air broadcast will simulcast on both channels from the conference’s closing event at the SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre and will also be streamed on the website www.maoritelevision.com.

The new channel – the name of which will be announced on March 10 – will initially broadcast during the prime time hours of 8.00 PM to 11.00 PM seven days a week on Freeview channel 24 and also on SKY Digital.

Maori Television chief executive Jim Mather says the aim is to better meet the needs of fluent Maori speakers, committed second language learners and those viewers keen to have full immersion Maori language households.

All programming will be exclusively in te reo Maori with no advertising or subtitles. There will also be special tribal programming and a particular focus on new programming for the older, fluent audience.

“Uppermost in our focus is our commitment to the promotion of the Maori language – this is at the core of Maori Television’s purpose and for which we continue to strive,” Mr Mather says.

  “While we are confident we are delivering to the legislative requirements upon us, we are of the view that more can be done to enhance the future of our language and the development of digital technology is a key opportunity to advance this.  

“We see this new channel as complementary to the service we are already providing and as an important new contributor to collective efforts to support the promotion and retention of our native language and the preservation of our culture.”

  For more information, go to Maori Television’s website www.maoritelevision.com.