Te Hītori
History
Te Reo o Ngāti Kahungunu Inc., trading as Radio Kahungunu, broadcasts a clear signal on 765AM to Wairoa in the north and to Porangahau in the south encompassing Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Waipawa, Waipukurau, Porangahau and Dannevirke. We simulcast a strong 94.3 FM signal to the Napier Hastings urban areas.
Radio Kahungunu is the only Māori radio station in this area. We started up as a Māori student radio station at the EIT (formerly Hawke’s Bay Polytechnic) in 1988.
Radio Kahungunu went to air for two weeks on the 5th December 1988 on frequency 1431 kHz; and then again for five weeks on 2nd October 1989. Run by staff and students of the Te Toa Takitini Multi-media Studies Course it initially operated out of a pre-fabricated building at the HB Polytechnic campus. It went to air under the umbrella of Te Toa Takitini Trust in 7th April 1991. Two years later, on the 8th April 1993, Te Reo O Ngāti Kahungunu Inc. was established and remains as the legal entity under which Radio Kahungunu currently operates.
The radio station enjoyed a dignified existence at the polytechnic from 1988 until 2005 when it bought and moved to new premises, a former Westpac Bank on the main street of Hastings. We pride ourselves on 30+ years of broadcasting to our Iwi and listeners.
Radio Kahungunu is focussed to target primarily Māori people, regardless of tribal affiliation, who are located within the area where its broadcast signal is strongest via its two frequencies. This area stretches from Māhia to Porangahau and across to the Ruahine Ranges. Over its 30-year history, radio courses have engaged thousands through its unique programmes particularly in the early 2000s, unlike any other Māori radio station.
The broadcasting programme focuses on all groups and is whānau focused. It operates to target all age groups and genders. Within the Hawke’s Bay region, Māori make up around 25% of the total population. While this is the case, an opportunity has been identified to attract Pakeha in listening, to assist them in their use of te reo.
Te Reo o Ngāti Kahungunu Incorporated has been a leader in various instances including political matters such as raising funds for the New Zealand Māori Council.
Background
The foresight of Dr Joseph Te Rito and other senior Māori staff at the HB Polytechnic provided the impetus for Māori living in the rohe to venture into learning about radio broadcasting, at a time when the" Te Reo Māori claim WAI 11" had been taken before the Waitangi Tribunal by Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i te Reo Māori, where the number of Māori speakers had been estimated to have fallen to about 50,000 or 12 percent of the then Māori population.
In 1987, the Māori Language Act was passed in Parliament and Māori was declared to be an official language. During this time,Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust were established.
By 1989, the Government had reserved radio and television broadcasting frequencies for use by Māori.At the same time the Education Amendment Act provided for the formal recognition of Kura Kaupapa Māori and wānanga (Māori tertiary institutions). By 1993, the Māori broadcasting funding agency Te Māngai Pāho had been established to promote Māori language and culture along with more than twenty iwi radio stations which were broadcasting throughout Aotearoa.
Vision of Licensee of 765AM, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII)
“By the year 2027 Kahungunu Reo will be the preferred means of communication in all domains for the majority of Kahungunu Iwi”
Vision of Licensee of 94.3FM and Broadcaster, Te Reo o Ngāti Kahungunu Incorporated Society (Radio Kahungunu):
“Kia piki ake te reo Māori – that the Māori language will flourish”
Mid-term Goal:
“To improve the quality of Māori language being delivered to our listeners on a continuous basis”
