21 October 2011

Maori Television Kicks Off Its Election Coverage

Native Affairs, Maori Television’s acclaimed current affairs show, will provide comprehensive live coverage of the Maori electorates in the build-up to polling day on 26 November.

Coverage kicks off with a pre-election special on Monday, 24 October at 8.30pm featuring interviews with Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff, followed by a live debate between other party leaders Hone Harawira, Metiria Turei, Winston Peters and Tariana Turia.

The one-hour show is the springboard into a special election series Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11, which starts on Monday, 31 October at 8.30pm.

Hosted by Julian Wilcox, Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11 will take politics to the people and examine issues at a local level in each of the seven Maori electorates.

“We’ve created a forum for candidates to debate the issues and allow voters to question them on their policies and broadcast it live so that Maori voters can make an informed choice on Election Day,” says Maori Television’s general manager of news and current affairs, Te Anga Nathan.

Native Affairs- Kowhiri 11 is the only national current affairs programme that will broadcast live from each of the seven Maori electorates in a series of “town hall” debates.

The debates will be televised in front of a public audience and feature the key candidates standing in each of the Maori electoral seats. The show will be issues-driven, with discussions about unemployment, the cost of living and family violence.

Julian Wilcox says Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11 will kick start discussions about topical issues within Maori electorates that people can continue at home.

The debates screen on Mondays at 8.30pm from 31 October and Wednesdays at 9pm from November 2 in the build up to the November 26 election.

Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11 will also screen a five-hour special on election night with live crosses to the Maori electorates and a panel of commentators in the Auckland studio discussing results as they come in. A two-hour post-election wrap will air on 28 November featuring interviews with major winners at the polling booth.

Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11 is a must-see, not only for those on the Maori roll, but for all New Zealanders. Tune in to Maori Television on Mondays at 8.30pm and Wednesdays at 9pm to find out what it means for you.

Native Affairs has, for the third time in five years, been named a finalist in the 2011 AFTAs (previously QANTAS Awards) for Best Current Affairs Series and Best Maori Language Programme.

Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11 starts in Wellington with the Te Tai Tonga electorate debate on Monday, 31 October from 8.30pm – 9.30pm live from Te Whare Waka o Poneke.

Te Tai Tonga Debate

The Te Tai Tonga debate will be held at Te Whare Waka o Poneke on Wellington’s waterfront on 31 October at 8.30pm.

Candidates: Dora Langsbury (Green), Rino Tirikatene (Labour), Clinton Dearlove (Mana), Rahui Katene (Maori)

Issues: The Christchurch earthquake, redundancies in the public sector, foreshore and seabed, unemployment

Presenter Bio - Julian Wilcox (Ngapuhi, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa)

Julian Wilcox is a presenter and associate producer of Maori Television’s current affairs show, NATIVE AFFAIRS with nearly 20 years’ experience in broadcasting.

He is the face of Maori Television’s 2011 election coverage in Native Affairs – Kowhiri 11.

Wilcox displays a natural authority when conducting interviews and has the mana to moderate.

Political commentator Brian Edwards described Wilcox’s handling of the discussion with Don Brash and Pita Sharples in July this year as one of the finest pieces of television current affairs he has seen in New Zealand.

Hailing from Upper Hutt, Wilcox started out in radio when he was a student at Te Aute College, announcing for Hawke’s Bay iwi radio station Te Reo Irirangi o Ngati Kahungunu.

His work in radio continued with the Wellington iwi radio station Te Upoko O Te Ika during his studies in political science and Maori at Victoria University.

He worked as a political reporter for TVNZ’s Maori news team on Te Karere before joining Maori Television.

ENDS

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