The Dawn Of A New Era. Māori Television Unveil New Name – Whakaata Māori

Māori Television have announced today that we will officially change our trading name to our reo Māori name, Whakaata Māori.

Whakaata means ‘to mirror’, ‘to reflect’ or ‘to display’; an appropriate exhibit of the role Whakaata Māori play in revitalising te reo Māori, our culture, and telling our stories.

Since the inception of Whakaata Māori 18 years ago, we have been connecting and inspiring audiences in Aotearoa and around the world, with stories for, about and in te reo Māori. These are narratives that need to be told, deserve to be heard and shared.

Shane Taurima, Tāhuhu Rangapū of Whakaata Māori said we are committed to empowering and celebrating Māori - whānau, hapū, iwi, hapori and culture.

“Whakaata Māori has always been a place where our people can see themselves and be proud of who they are. We are bold, creative and brave; we now embrace the mana of our Māori name and will use it as fuel to ensure a thriving Māori culture for all of Aotearoa.”

Whakaata Māori was founded through a long campaign by Māori to protect te reo and tikanga Māori. 50 years ago the reo Māori language petition was signed into law and the name change honours this great legacy and history by continuing to respond to the needs and wants of our audiences.

And as the dawn of Matariki - the Māori new year - approaches, we acknowledge that this is the time to prepare for the year ahead, is a time to learn and a time to celebrate the future, our future. Matariki Hunga Nui, Matariki Ahunga Nui, Matariki Manako Nui.

In 2021, we launched our Te Ao Māori News and MĀORI+ app which has extended our audience reach and built insights into what our audience needs. We also took a fresh approach in how we made our content accessible to audiences, including making content available to our MĀORI+ app audiences first.

This has proven to be an effective approach as our latest audience figures show that our digital audience is up by 16% YoY, and this figure supports our independent research that we have an engaged audience, and help our culture to be valued, thrive, and we are trusted to share Māori stories and promote te reo Māori.

“For Whakaata Māori, we are a reflection of the richness and diversity of our kaimahi, and a vision of who we want to be now, for our Mokopuna and what we will become. Now is time for us to stand up and be proud of who we are and where we are heading,” continues Taurima.

“We are more than a multi-media organisation, we are a movement, a people, a culture, a cornerstone of this great country and a thriving part of its future. We are Whakaata Māori.”

The Whakaata Māori name change will officially be unveiled at a special dawn celebration on 9th June with shareholding Ministers, Te Mātāwai, iwi, other indigenous broadcasters, communities, kaimahi, and other distinguished guests.

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