Wed Sep 18 02:29:40 UTC 2024: ## Whakaata Māori Faces Significant Cuts, Forced to Rethink Operations
**Wellington, New Zealand** – Whakaata Māori, the country’s only dedicated Māori television broadcaster, is facing a drastic reduction in funding, forcing the organisation to make significant changes to its operations.
The broadcaster’s chief executive, Shane Taurima, and chairman Jaime Tuuta appeared before Parliament’s Māori Affairs Select Committee today, revealing that recent funding cuts amounting to $10 million, or 25% of their budget, have left them with no choice but to implement drastic measures.
To address the funding shortfall, Whakaata Māori plans to almost halve its senior leadership team, from seven to four roles, and shift its focus to producing fewer, but higher-impact, projects. They will also move their exclusively Māori language channel, Te Reo, online-only, a move originally planned for the longer term.
“We continue to achieve and do the things that we need to do with limited resources,” said Tuuta, “but that cannot be sustained.”
Taurima emphasized the severity of the situation, stating that the funding reduction would reach $6.3 million by the end of this financial year, with a further $4 million cut the following year.
“The impact that the funding loss will have on content, it will be significant,” Taurima warned. “We’re still working through the exact reduction, but there will be a significant reduction in the investment in content.”
The broadcaster’s staff are facing uncertainty as the organisation works through the details of the change proposal, which is expected to be presented to them by the end of the month.
“This is a last resort,” Taurima explained. “We’ve looked at everything else possible that we can to achieve these cost savings. But, unfortunately, we’re now having to look at the wider organisation and structure and roles to understand how we can continue to deliver great Māori content within the funding parameters that have been set for us.”
Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris voiced strong criticism of the funding cuts, calling them “cutting Whakaata Māori at their knees.” Ferris highlighted the long-standing issue of inequitable funding for Māori media and urged the government to make a permanent commitment to supporting the sector.
“The last government set aside a temporary fix,” Ferris said. “We are demanding that this government make an enduring commitment.”
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