New details emerge of Te Māngai Pāho’s vision for Māori news

An $18.5 million funding round offers the clearest picture yet of how the agency plans to reshape Māori journalism, as iwi radio providers continue to raise concerns about the future of the sector.

The transformation of the Māori news media landscape is beginning to take shape following recent budget announcements.

Documents released last week as part of Te Māngai Pāho’s Mōhiohio funding round reveal the Māori broadcast funding agency – charged with helping to lead the revitalisation of te reo Māori – is offering $18.5 million of funding for factual reo Māori content. The documents also disclosed the output expectations for a new national news hub called Te Iho, being led by Whakaata Māori.

The national provider will be responsible for producing around 250 15-minute weekday reo Māori news wraps annually for iwi radio stations, as well as around 250 30-minute weekday television news bulletins for broadcast on an established television platform, likely Whakaata Māori.

“We are committed to working alongside all providers to ensure a smooth transition to this new media landscape, said kaihautū of Te Māngai Pāho Larry Parr in a statement released as part of the documents. “While there are still challenges facing the sector, we believe we are better positioned to deliver news and current affairs which prioritises a Māori worldview and quality journalism.”

Last year, Te Māngai Pāho revealed it was revamping the Māori news sector in light of funding shortfalls and a desire to make better use of available resources. A key part of the change included the establishment of Te Iho. The national service will collate stories from six regional news providers, making them available to Māori news outlets nationwide.

The changes come amid a slight reprieve for the funding agency, following an announcement of a $48m cash injection into the sector in Budget 2026. While details of how the funding will be allocated remain unknown, Te Māngai Pāho chief executive Larry Parr acknowledged it would help to alleviate an imminent $16m annual fiscal cliff the agency was facing.

“We acknowledge that this funding is a clear signal of continued support for te reo Māori,” Parr said.

Meanwhile, Māori development minister Tama Potaka said the extra funding would support the long-term sustainability of Māori broadcasting by “helping Māori media organisations adapt to a changing digital environment, commission new te reo Māori content, develop talent and strengthen their capability”.

The funding announcement came at a time of increased tension in the sector, with iwi radio providers feeling particularly aggrieved about the shakeup announced last year. The national Māori radio network, Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori o Aotearoa, led by its chair Peter-Lucas Jones, was considering litigation over a potential loss of government funding to radio stations prior to the budget announcement.

Currently, 21 iwi radio stations across the country receive allocated funding from Te Māngai Pāho, while Whakaata Māori receives funding directly from the government. All other funding is allocated by Te Māngai Pāho through its contestable funding rounds.

Whakaata Māori received $49m in funding for the 2024-2025 financial year, with its revenue also being supplemented by additional sources such as advertising and Te Māngai Pāho. For the 2026/27 financial year, Te Māngai Pāho received baseline operational funding of $50m.

South Auckland-based Waatea News, which had held a contract to produce hourly radio news bulletins for the last 20 years, was a vocal critic of the proposed changes to the Māori news service after it was revealed its $1m annual contract would not be renewed for 2026. The station will now be forced to rely on its baseline funding (it received $630,000 last year) for operations.

The Mōhiohio round is predominantly focused on news and current affairs, including documentaries and docuseries. It replaces the previous news and current affairs round and part of the general audience round.

“Priority will be given to high-quality reo Māori documentaries; news; and current affairs content for diverse audiences across free-to-access media platforms,” Te Māngai Pāho said in a statement announcing the opening of the round.

Of the $18.5m, up to $5m of the funding will be allocated to reo Māori documentary, docuseries, and other factual content formats beyond news and current affairs. Up to $3m will be available for reo Māori current affairs journalism, and $4.5m for reo Māori news journalism within the current reo Māori news provider structure. All documentary or docuseries projects that receive funding through the round will be required to also make the content available to Whakaata Māori as well as their primary platforms.

An additional $4m will go towards strengthening technical capacity and editorial capability, and support for the development of Māori journalists. This includes the development of a national oversight team of senior editorial leaders, daily news editors, graphics designers, and a senior journalist mentor to support capability development. The team will be responsible for coordinating the reo Māori news ecosystem – currently consisting of six regional news providers and two national news services – through the transformation.

“The change in approach follows feedback from the screen sector calling for greater clarity and focused funding priorities. It responds to reduced baseline funding availability in 2026/27, with fewer rounds required,” the agency said in a statement.

According to the request for proposals for the funding round, the remaining $2m of the Mōhiohio funding round is reserved for “other content types”. The document states returning and known projects will be prioritised.

With less than six months left until the first broadcasts begin airing from the new national news hub, work is under way to set up the team that will lead the sector into a new era. Funding applications for the round are due on August 27, with decisions set to be announced on October 30.