22 Nov 2018

Māori TV cuts news and current affairs programmes

3:48 pm on 22 November 2018

Māori Television's long-running news programme Te Kāea is set to end in February.

The new Māori Television building.

The new Māori Television building. Photo: RNZ / Shannon Haunui-Thompson

The network announced today its three other current affairs programmes Kawekōrero, Native Affairs and Rereātea will also finish at the end of this year.

Māori Television deputy chief executive Shane Taurima said its current affairs content will become a single brand and would include an evening news show.

He said the changes would be cost-effective, sustainable and enable more reporters to work out in the field.

"We produce content for platforms not for specific programmes. It'll be news first, content second. We tell the story as we know it, on the best, most suitable and most instant platform.

"There is an emphasis on our reporters to be out and about in our communities and at all the different and important Māori occasions throughout the motu. The result will mean more Māori news content."

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