‘ I became a better version of myself’
It’s the end of the road for Neil Waka’s midday news show, while the Government softens on the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill
Neil Waka has been a familiar face on our screens for more than three decades, thrust into the spotlight as a young news presenter when TV3 launched in 1989.
Having worked in radio, he’d just qualified for Police College in Wellington when he auditioned for the fledgling TV station — and had to choose between a camera or a cop car for his future career.
He was brought to Auckland for a cloak- and- dagger TV3 audition and, later on, a promotional shoot.
“I was only green and I was very young. This was just dreamy stuff for me. A limo came to pick me up — it was probably the first limo I’d been in,” Waka told Media Insider this week.
He was starstruck when he saw who was inside.
“Sitting in there was a guy that I’d seen read TV news when it was black and white when I was just a little kid.
“I’m sitting next to Philip Sherry and he says, ‘ Hello,’” says Waka, in a refined voice.
“I was really excited. I just looked at him and said ‘ Hello!’”
He says that Sherry, the headline act for TV3 at the time, gave him the best television career advice early on.
“He wasn’t any different in real life. He had a lot of mana; he carried himself like a real gentleman.
“I was struggling with TV. I said, ‘ How do you do it?’ And he says, ‘ Just be yourself dear boy — just with a better performance.’”
Waka’s latest “performance” comes to an end today.
At midday, he will host his final news show on Whakaata Ma ¯ ori
( Ma ¯ ori Television), closing this latest chapter on a storied media career that has included long stints as a presenter at our four biggest broadcasters — TV3, TVNZ, RNZ and Whakaata
Ma ¯ ori.
Whakaata Ma ¯ ori has quietly swung the axe on its lunchtime news show Te Ao Tapatahi. The half- hour show is broadcast in English but with a heavy te reo influence.
“The show is finishing,” says Waka. “I don’t know what they’re doing in terms of moving forward but I think by the sounds of it they won’t be doing a bilingual show anymore. They’re focusing more on [ te reo] Ma ¯ ori.”
The broadcaster has been approached for comment.
“It was a great experience,” Waka told Media Insider of his last three years at Whakaata Ma ¯ ori.
“I loved it; I learned so much. It was great to be back in media again, which I didn’t ever think I was going to do.”
After a decade at TV3 and 11 years at TVNZ, Waka moved into the corporate world in 2010, as general manager of corporate affairs for General Motors/ Holden for five years and then as head of corporate affairs at CocaCola Amatil for another four years.
He dabbled in broadcasting again towards the end of his time with CocaCola, and joined Whakaata Ma ¯ ori fulltime in 2020.
He said there had been many positives, with some “extraordinary” lessons.
In a LinkedIn post just two months ago, Waka wrote of why the role was one of his most challenging and enjoyable.
“There are a number of reasons but one is our Ma ¯ ori language and the importance of ensuring I pay due respect to our native tongue by becoming better at combining English and te reo Ma ¯ ori, which to be honest has been incredibly challenging for me at times.
“It’s a privilege working at one of the most highly regarded indigenous television networks in the world, and one of the most exciting things for me is being able to interview, on a daily basis, some of the most extraordinary highly professional people I never knew existed working in mainstream.”
Waka told Media Insider that he had loved his time at Whakaata Ma ¯ ori.
“I learned a lot — I think I became a better version of myself in front of the camera.
“It’s been a really meaningful three years of learning about te ao Ma ¯ ori, which I’d never really gone into in a big way before and being with people who grew up in that world.”
He says he was advised about the changes a week ago.
“They were looking at me and I’m just smiling. They go, ‘ Is everything okay?’ and I said, ‘ This is just meant to happen.’
“You know, the show wasn’t going to go on forever. What I appreciate is the incredible learnings that I got from being involved with so many people from that world.”
He feels excited about the future and is already talking to people about some options.
He sees opportunities in the likes of the podcast space, but he’s also keen to return to management.
In the meantime, he’s “feeling philosophical”.
“Nothing’s forever — as I say, I got a lot out of it. When it’s time it’s time. I’ve gained so much experience outside media, then I’ve come
back and essentially shown what I’ve learned from outside media. I feel I’m more of a well- rounded, better- rounded broadcaster than I ever was.”
Govt retains digital news bill — for now
Executives and representatives from local media and international social media companies have been making their way to the office of new Media and Communications Minister Melissa Lee over the past week.
The minister’s office confirmed to Media Insider that she’s so far met with the News Publishers Association — including chairwoman Sinead Boucher — as well as NZME ( CEO Michael Boggs), Chorus, Google and Meta. Meetings with other companies, stakeholders and Crown entities, including RNZ, continue into next week, as diaries align.
“The minister has so far found the meetings constructive and continuing, in many cases, longstanding relationships from her time in Parliament engaging with the sector through her prior Opposition and select committee assignments,” said a spokesman.
The NPA, NZME and other media companies will be using the opportunity to reiterate their views on the critical importance of social media companies and tech giants paying for local news content that appears on their platforms.
The social media companies on the other hand — Meta in particular — are thoroughly opposed to the concept.
Google has negotiated its own deals with individual media companies and will undoubtedly want that framework to continue, rather than a regulatory regime such as in Australia and Canada.
Before the election, Lee said she was opposed to the previous Labour Government’s Digital Fair News Bargaining Bill, which was sent to select committee just before Parliament rose in August.
“The bill will enable New Zealand news publishers to negotiate on more equal terms with digital platforms,” says the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.
“The intent is that news publishers are fairly compensated for the value of their news content that is made available by digital platforms online. The bill ensures that the negotiations between news publishers and digital platforms are fair and provides a bargaining code and negotiation process for when deals cannot be reached voluntarily.”
Sources have told Media Insider that National has softened its view on the bill that’s before the select committee, although it may well want changes. It seems the minister does now want to reflect.
Through a spokesman, Lee told Media Insider: “After considering the best way forward to address any concerns, changes and impacts on stakeholders who have already submitted, the minister has confirmed to the Leader of the House to recommend that the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill remain reinstated for the purposes of select committee processes.
“This does not preclude the minister deciding to discharge the bill after considering the findings and any recommendations of the select committee in charge.”
Interestingly, National’s coalition partner NZ First — the only major political party to release a media and communications policy before the election — clearly stated that it wanted “major global tech platforms like Google and Meta to support NZ journalism by paying a fair price for NZ- published content”.
The Economic Development, Science and Innovation select committee is considering the bill — its new chairwoman is Dr Parmjeet Parmar ( Act) and its deputy chairwoman is Dr Vanessa Weenink ( National).
A senior government source did not rule out a new bill coming into effect, but said there would likely need to be amendments. Just how far those go in terms of appeasing social media companies or otherwise remains to be seen.
The senior source said: “From the broader perspective of how do we find revenue streams to support newsrooms — because the business model’s poked — it is an important discussion.
“How do we support newsrooms to flourish and not just be in survival mode is a bigger discussion. And do globals play a part in supporting that with whatever else does play a part?
“It’s such a really important topic. We know that the media is at a crucial inflection point. The need for our Fourth Estate to be solid and strong — in terms of upholding democracy — is so important.
“It’s that bigger constitutional issue — if we don’t have a trusted, valued media, then they can’t do their job properly. They can’t perform their role.”
The senior source said the media sector was under threat on many fronts, from misinformation and disinformation to concerns over balanced and fair reporting, and the looming spectre of AI.
“It really needs some big discussion around the industry because it’s not just our part of the world. Modern democracies are facing exactly the same thing for their own media and therefore for their democracy.”
It wasn’t just what Government could do, the source said, “but also how can media help itself too?”
Parliament’s big media bash
Many of the great and good of journalism, broadcasting and politics cast aside rivalries and party lines on Wednesday for a true par- tay — the annual Press Gallery Christmas bash at Parliament.
Around 200 people — from top public servants to journalists and politicians — mixed and mingled, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Act leader David Seymour and Labour leader Chris Hipkins. The party is officially approved by Speaker Gerry Brownlee. Luxon and Peters were there for several hours — Peters held court, as he normally does, with people making a beeline to speak to him. Hipkins was there with his partner Toni Grace.
A who’s who of media bosses joined press gallery journalists including NZME CEO Michael Boggs, Stuff owner Sinead Boucher, and TVNZ acting CEO Brent McAnulty.
Broadcasters Heather du Plessis-Allan, Jack Tame, Rebecca Wright, Lloyd Burr, Tova O’Brien, Sean Plunket and Nick Mills all enjoyed the festivities.
Some of our top public bosses including Mfat CEO Chris Seed and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster were also present.
TVNZ 5.30am business show?
TVNZ has been apparently considering a 5.30am businessfocused show.
For several years, up until 2011, TVNZ had an early morning business show, AMP Business, hosted by Nadine Chalmers Ross, while TV3 screened ASB Business from 2007 to 2010, starting at 6am.
In this day and age, of course, any new business show would need to be focused on a digital audience, especially with many business leaders and workers already up and about by 5.30am. And in that sense, the visual and audio execution on mobile phones would be critical.
The television audience, in my opinion, would need to be considered the cream on the top.
“Launching a business- focused show is something we’ve considered on and off over the past few years,” says a TVNZ spokeswoman.
“[ There are] no formal plans under way in this space though and nothing to announce.”
RNZ’s digital strategy
RNZ’s focus on targeting more of the same audience that it and every other media company targets has been welcomed by the Better Public Media group.
I was critical of RNZ last week for spending taxpayer money on building an entirely new app, website extension and brand that focuses on 30- to 49- year- olds when its existing website and app, and those of commercial media, already saturate this space.
Earlier this year, RNZ was given a massive budget boost by the previous Government to focus on underserved audiences.
The Better Public Media group has come out in support of RNZ.
“As audiences move away from traditional linear broadcasting, the future for public service media providers like RNZ has to be flexible, multi- platform, and responsive to evolving audience needs — and that inevitably requires online initiatives and digital apps,” BPM chairman Dr Peter Thompson said in a media release.
He said, “public media innovations through new digital platforms is exactly what noncommercial government- funded media need to be doing”.
“RNZ doesn’t compete for advertising revenue, and that enables it to take risks and trial new ideas which, if successful, can also be adapted by commercial media. This shouldn’t be seen as a threat to the commercial sector but as a contribution to the media ecology as a whole. Public service media both in Aotearoa and internationally function to serve the needs of all audiences.
“The scope of services RNZ provides therefore must include content aimed at both mainstream audiences and niche communities not well- served by commercial media. That is an important part of giving taxpayers value for money,” Thompson said.
No one is decrying RNZ’s need to innovate but, in my view, an additional app that targets
30- 49- year- olds can hardly be described as trialling new ideas.
The public broadcaster is in a unique position to use its big funding injection to launch some truly inspirational ideas.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Media and Communications Minister Melissa Lee said National supported the increase in RNZ’s budget.
Asked if that extra funding would continue for future years, she said: “My focus is supporting the 100- dayZ plan and 2023 ‘ mini- Budget’ process. Matters relating to future Budgets will be considered at the appropriate time.”
Asked about her general message around budget, funding and spending, she said: “Alongside the wider coalition Government, my expectations are that all parts of government spend public money carefully and with a clear purpose.”
It would be inappropriate to comment on any strategy as she had yet to meet RNZ.
A meeting has been scheduled for before the end of the year.
It’s a privilege working at one of the most highly regarded indigenous television networks in the world. Neil Waka
Public media innovations through new digital platforms is exactly what non- commercial government- funded media need to be doing.
Dr Peter Thompson