Story: Māori radio – reo irirangi

Hēmi Pōtatau (of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Rākaipaaka) was a Presbyterian minister and national advocate for the preservation of the Māori language. He was a patron of the Te Reo Māori society, which was responsible for the te reo claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. Much of the development in Māori radio can be traced back to the success of the te reo claim. He is seen here in 1978 discussing with children from Wellington's Mount Cook School a petition to set up a Māori television production unit, a campaign that was ultimately successful.