Actually, I'd really prefer you didn't waltz in here and use your first post to accuse me and others of being racist.

Woh. Sorry Russell. I really am genuinely very very sorry. I've followed your good works over many years in many media and have read PA for a long time. I have never thought of you, or for that matter the other posters of PA to be racist.

In my first, and on reflection badly written post, I was referring in more general terms, to the broo-haha that came up over this. Not your post. I'm sorry if you thought I was saying that of your post, or of you. I really wasn't meaning to.

I do think, that at times, "Maori news stories" (for want of a better term) do get reported in, well "different" ways than other news. Again not by you, or here, but by some in the MSM on talkback etc.

I stand by the bit about coverage though. I live in rural and regional NZ. The only TV I can get is via Sky (which I choose not to use) or freeview sat (which I do). I watch MTS often. With rugby being on PRIME and not (until recently) on Freeview, I watched rugby never. I think I'd really like the FTA covergae to be on MT - it'd be kinda cool... and very NZ.

I take your point about this being $3 that could have and should have been spent on other more useful and worthy causes.

Where I wrote about Pita Sharples trying to maybe shaft the nats - this was just me talking smack. I have no idea about this at all. Just opinionated drivel. If I were him, I'd be getting pretty pissed by the way things have gone so far with the nats (supercity seats etc), and maybe he thought he could get a little moral victory. Or maybe the thought was to increase the cultural exposure to a lot of NZrs who would otherwise not be not so inclined.

Once again I am very sorry, and rightfully chastised, I will not waltz in here again.
Peace out and hugs

"The fact that Maori Television only reaches 85% of viewers presents another obvious problem."

Well that would be a problem, if it was a fact.

MTV reaches 100% of viewers - via Freeview Satellite.
Which is more than could have been said about Prime up until last month.

Hate to use the "R" word. But it seems to me this wouldn't have been an issue if it was TVNZ.
Say TVNZ had reached a deal with the govt to bid for the FTA coverage (for example by decreasing their dividend for a year) - no one bar a few NBR writers would care - but because it's "The bloody Maoris" ....
Cue the talkback callers "... and their going to do it all in bloody Maori... we speak ENGLISH in Nu Zulund... not bloody Maori .. we're all kiwis ... we all need to talk thu same" etc

Can't help but think Pita Sharples has tried, in some small way, to stuff one up the nats - always a good thing.

Anyway lets remember its only a bunch of middle aged men in walk shorts and pulled up socks chasing a inflated plastic ball around for 80mins.