'Bro TV' gets slot on Maori Television Service

National Party MP Tony Ryall says New Zealand taxpayers should be extremely worried about their investment in the Maori Television Service, after unveiling the line-up of shows commissioned for the Government's new brain-child.

"They say the truth is often stranger than fiction - and in this case it is," says Mr Ryall.

He's commenting on responses to Parliamentary Questions, which show Te Mangai Paho has approved a bizarre collection of shows during funding rounds in July and October last year, as well as in March 2003.

"Remember this is a public service broadcaster supposedly set up to promote the Maori culture," says Mr Ryall.

"The working titles include two DIY shows, 'Marae DIY' and 'Mitre 10 Marae DIY'.

"There's 'Maori-Oke', a national karaoke competition and no TV channel's complete without its cooking shows, including 'Kai Time' and 'Kai Ora' which will apparently give us 'a clear vision of Maori identity through food'.

"Skateboarding gets a slot in 'Aotearoa SK8', and there'll be a music series 'that looks at the lives and times of our ageing Maori rockers'.

"Then there's 'Bro TV - Just Feel it', described as a programme which highlights and celebrates the quirks and qualities of all the people of our nation," Mr Ryall says.

"And Maori TV will take a look at 'Life on Mars' - when it's clear the only life they'll find is Parekura Horomia and the Labour Government for backing MTS.

"If that's a representative selection of what will be on offer from Maori Television, taxpayers should be justifiably concerned," says Mr Ryall.

"It's hard to see how it will wrestle viewers away from the established networks with that sort of programming.

"Viewers will make their own judgments, while taxpayers foot the bill," Mr Ryall says.

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