NZ Radio Training School now part of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi community

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi is pleased to announce that the NZ Radio Training School (NZRTS) is now under the custodianship of Awanuiārangi and together, will be delivering the NZ Diploma in Radio Broadcasting (Level 5) at a tertiary level, as well as the STAR and Gateway programmes for secondary schools.

The NZ Radio Training School, previously part of Whitireia Institute of Technology, is now based at our Tāmaki Makaurau campus in Manukau and has four fully operational radio stations, along with green room facilities, news, and production suites for the practical training requirements of the programmes. 

To honour the new relationship, Distinguished Professor Sir Hirini Moko Mead, Kaumātua advisor to the Awanuiārangi Council and former Chair, has blessed the NZ Diploma in Radio Broadcasting (Level 5) programme with a te reo Māori name equivalent: Te Poutairanga Pāho o te Motu. In addition, Sir Hirini has also bestowed upon the NZ Radio Training School a te reo Māori name equivalent: Te Kura Pāpāho o te Motu. We thank Sir Hirini for these special blessings.

Professor Wiremu Doherty says the Wānanga is excited by this new partnership.

“It is an honour to formally be an integral part of the broadcasting training landscape in Aotearoa, and help ensure our unique te ao Māori contribution is reflected in this important industry,” says Professor Doherty.

“Aligning this qualification with teaching and learning modes unique to te ao Māori is critical to the future of broadcasting in Aotearoa.”

National Programme Co-Ordinator, Larry Summerville is leading the programme alongside Lecturers, Mr Kim Adamson, Mr Myrddin Gwynedd and Mr Rāniera Winikerei, who all come from strong radio and online journalism backgrounds, having worked in the broadcasting industry collectively for decades dating back to the 1970s. Professor Taiarahia Black will also provide academic oversight for the school in the context of te reo and tikanga Māori. As the host of the weekly Reo Rangahau show on Tūmeke FM in Whakatāne, Professor Black is well placed to provide guidance and support for both staff and tauira in the broadcasting space.

Mr Summerville says the team are eager to embark on the next phase of this journey and work with the Wānanga to equip the next generation of broadcasters.

“This programme offers a seamless learning space that is both a professional workplace environment, as well as providing hands-on educational experiences for our students,” says Mr Summerville.

“On completion of this programme, graduates will have a world of opportunities available to them — they will be able to enter the industry in a multitude of areas such as presenting, production, programming, marketing, sales, brand management, studio engineering, creative writing, journalism, and digital content management.”  

“The course will include a mix of kanohi ki te kanohi and blended delivery comprised of noho, wānanga, mixed mode and field visits/practice, including building connections with the industry.”

Awanuiārangi Council Chair, Judge Layne Harvey says NZRTS is well known across the industry for producing quality graduates who are sought after in Māori broadcasting for their broad range of practical skills, coupled with a well-recognised formal qualification.

“Awanuiārangi is pleased to become re-involved in providing programmes in broadcasting, having originally offered a degree in broadcasting many years ago,” says Judge Harvey.

“We are keen to start this new chapter and we look forward to following the progress of our tauira, and their contributions to the industry in the years to come.”

As the chairperson of the board of Tūmeke FM for more than 25 years, Judge Harvey is well aware of the quality of the programme, with many Tūmeke FM staff having graduated with this diploma over the years.

“Our Tūmeke FM kaimahi have all benefited from the course in their everyday broadcasting roles, with both the theoretical learnings and hands-on approach of the lecturers helping enhance their editing skills, while at the same time opening new pathways of learning for them,” says Judge Harvey.

“When the opportunity to work with NZRTS arose, from my perspective at both Tūmeke FM and Awanuiārangi, there was a natural fit and synergy. 

Future plans for the next year include offering the programme in the Bay of Plenty, including the STAR and Gateway programmes for secondary schools.

“We’ve also had expressions of interest from some of our Taranaki whanaunga, which is indication of the demand for this type of programme offering,” says Judge Harvey.

This programme is specifically designed for tauira new to the radio broadcasting industry or tauira thinking about a career in broadcasting and related media industries and environments. The first intake of tauira will begin their broadcasting learning journey in June.

More information about the NZ Diploma in Radio Broadcasting can be found here, and profiles of the kaimahi delivering this programme can be found here.

Pānui reo Māori