Georgina te Heuheu National Maori Affairs Spokesperson

29 January 2003

Maori Television highlights Govt folly

The announcement today on Maori Television shows the folly of a Government that had already consigned New Zealanders, with its first decision on TVNZ a number of years ago, to an outdated television frequency, says National Maori Affairs Spokesperson Georgina te Heuheu.

"It is disappointing after the tortuous path that Maori TV has gone down that the Government couldn't look at the big picture and bring TVNZ and Maori TV into the 21st Century.

"We are living in a world of digital TV but the Government doesn't seem to know that. New Zealanders are the worse off for it.

"If the Government was really serious about the potential of Maori TV to inform and educate all New Zealanders about Maori aspirations, it would have used this opportunity to allow TVNZ to move into the digital era, and Maori TV along with it.

"Instead all New Zealanders are consigned to outdated frequencies and, although today's decisions are probably a foregone conclusion, they are still disappointing," Mrs te Heuheu said.

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