Te 11 o nga ra o Whiringa-a-nuku 2003
PANUI PAPAHO / MEDIA STATEMENT
KI A:
Chief Reporters
Broadcasting Reporters
Maori Affairs Reporters
IT Company Unveils Maori Radio Webstreaming
An Auckland IT company has developed the first ever internet website to access all iwi radio station broadcasts.
StreamCom Limited works closely with the Maori broadcasting funding agency, Te Mangai Paho, and the national federation
of Maori radio stations, Te Whakaruruhau o Nga Reo Irirangi Maori, to provide the Punga Net service.
Punga Net is a distribution/contribution network that allows more than 21 iwi stations and other providers to share
audio with each other in real time and to collaborate in the production of Maori language programming.
Streamcom spokesman Simon Jackson says all iwi station feeds received at the Punga Net control centre in Auckland can
now be accessed through the new website – www.irirangi.net. Listeners will have the ability to choose from 20 different
Maori broadcasts rather than just their local iwi station.
“This is a project aimed at making these broadcasts available to a wider audience as the internet breaks down the
geographic barriers associated with traditional radio transmission,” Mr Jackson says. “It’s hoped by providing a means
for people to listen to Maori language on the internet we will encourage better audience participation. This will be
especially true of the youth audience for whom the internet is becoming a common source of audio material.”
StreamCom focuses on providing IT and broadcast engineering support to the Maori broadcasting industry. The company also
acts as the engineering and IT department for Mai Media Limited and its radio stations – Mai FM 88.6 in Auckland, Mai FM
96.7 in Rotorua, Mai FM 97.8 in Whangarei and the national Maori language radio service, Ruia Mai – as well as a number
of other iwi radio stations.
ENDS