WELLINGTON (Tangata Whenua.com / Pacific Media Watch): Iwi Radio’s oldest member, Wellington radio station Te Upoko o te Ika, was the big winner at the inaugural Iwi Radio Awards for New Zealand Maori broadcasters, held in Rotorua last weekend.
Te Upoko, who in May will be celebrating their 25th birthday, took out the top Iwi Radio Station category.
Te Whakaruruhau Iwi Radio chairman Willie Jackson says “it was fantastic that Te Upoko o te Ika won the top award, who would have believed that in such an important year for them and on their 25th birthday that they could have won this and they won it against 20 other top iwi radio (tribe-based) stations.”
Jackson says “it’s a tribute to the hard work and dedication that they have made to the advancement of Te Reo Maori that they won the top award and I’m sure I speak for the whole network in offering my congratulations to their manager Wena Tait and the kaimahi of Te Upoko o te Ika”.
The Iwi Awards night brought together all the iwi stations around the country, their managers, supporters and kaumatua. It was a tremendous night celebrating iwi radio excellence.
Other big winners were Radio Ngati Porou who took out five awards including Most Outstanding Community Contribution by an iwi station which was awarded to them for their radiothon that they ran in support for the Christchurch earthquake disaster.
Moana FM from Tauranga who won three awards including Best Kaumatua show and Sun FM from Whakatane who also won three awards including Best Bilingual Current Affairs.
Willie Jackson says “the big winner was Te Iwi Maori, the evening showed us that despite all the cutbacks that are happening in the public service at the moment iwi radio remains strong, vibrant and competitive and is well placed to continue in this vein for a number or years yet.”
Kua paratia te huarahi hei whainga mo nga reo irirangi I nga tau e tu mai ana I mua I a tatou hei tauira whakapakari hei taumata kia mau ki roto I nga paotanga ki e motu, ara ki te ao whanui.
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Pacific Media Watch
