King Tuheitia's coronation was hosted in English. Photo / Sarah Ivey
King Tuheitia's coronation was hosted in English. Photo / Sarah Ivey
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An attack on Maori Television by an academic who felt it should focus more on te reo has been rejected by the channel, which says legislation requires it to reach as broad an audience as possible.
Massey University head of Maori language Professor Taiarahia Black slammed the channel'sdecision not to use te reo in its commentary on the coronation of the Maori King.
Maori Television sales and marketing general manager Sonya Haggie said the majority of the broadcast was in te reo Maori.
The channel had always tried to include programming for English-speakers, rather than try to exclude them, she said.
"We believe very strongly in that positioning ... our programmes appeal to a broader audience than just speakers of te reo Maori," she said.
"We are launching a new channel early next year which will specifically provide for the fluent speakers of te reo."
That channel would show Maori Television had a firm position of promoting the language, she said.
"We don't have to launch this new channel - we want to because we want to do what we believe is the best job for the language."
She did not feel the criticisms outlined by Professor Black were broadly held. She had not heard them before.
The channel communicated regularly with Maori viewers, who were "overwhelmingly positive" about what it was doing, she said.
A formal coronation ceremony was held for King Tuheitia at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia last month.
Maori Television broadcast the three-and-a-half hour commemoration special on August 21.
"Maori Television was established in 2004, based on the premise that te reo was a taonga to be protected and promoted as a living language," Professor Black said.
Instead, it seemed to be trying to attract a more general audience to Maori-themed programmes, while pushing for a second channel, dedicated to screening three hours' daily programming in 100 per cent te reo.
