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Chris Winitana to Host Te Tepu
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Chris
Winitana to Host Te Tepu
Veteran Maori
broadcaster Chris Winitana (Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngai Tuhoe)
has taken on a new mantle as the host of Maori
Television’s current affairs show, TE
TEPU.
The weekly programme features prominent kaumatua as well as some of the country’s best speakers of te reo Maori who share their views on local, national and international issues.
Winitana – a Maori language and culture consultant, writer, journalist, teacher and television and music producer - makes his debut in front of the camera on TE TEPU, starting Wednesday June 20 at 8.00pm.
He says he is honoured to take on the role, which was previously held by the venerable Dr Hone Kaa, who passed away in March.
“This is a great opportunity and I am excited about asking the questions again,” he says.
“Being a journalist is a bit like riding a bike and I am really looking forward to dusting off that bike.”
Winitana started his career more than 30 years ago as a journalist at the Waikato Times.
Roles at the New Zealand Herald and Sunday News followed before he moved into teaching positions at the Waiariki Maori Journalism course and co-founding the Ahorangi Maori language school where his children were educated.
Winitana is also an acclaimed playwright, author and producer, whose accolades include winning the Nga Kupu Ora Maori Book Awards for Toku Reo, Toku Ohooho in 2011 and Best Maori Language Children’s Programme for Koi in 2006. He has also been a finalist in the Montana Book Awards and NZ Music Awards.
He is currently completing a Master’s thesis on the language of Tuwharetoa.
TE TEPU executive producer Hone Edwards says Winitana is a huge coup for the series.
“Chris is a natural interviewer and he has an understanding of Western and Maori world views. He is in a great position to grapple with the issues we will be looking at on TE TEPU.”
This year’s series premieres on June 20 with a discussion about the role of the Iwi Leaders’ Forum, which helped with the resolution of the Affco meat workers’ lockout.
ENDS
Maori language current affairs show TE TEPU starts Wednesday June 20 at 8.00pm.
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