To everyone who supports the Maori Party and Maori TV dont waste your time on these sorts of sites, i can hardly believe Im writing on here myself. Just leave all these uneducated, scared, uptight, idiots to their little blogs. If Maori TV wins the right to air rugby, it will be these same idiots turning their channels over to the native station to watch their precious All Blacks. . Just stop being jealous. OMG its just rugbyy, we're probably gonna loose the stupid cup anyway. I'd like to commend the Maori Channel for the ANZAC DAY coverage, that no one bothered to create until Maori TV came up with the idea. I can think of nothing better to spend my taxpayer dollars on!!!

@Forbsie #26 "How is rugby part of Maori culture?"

How is rugby part of New Zealand culture?

I don't know any Maori who aren't New Zealanders. A=B, B=C, A=C.

I'm a taxpayer and I'm glad that my taxes are being used for something that I agree with. I'm sick of people wasting my hard earned taxes on holiday trips - (Roger Douglas or $30,000 per year on taxis - (Jonathan Hunt) and how much money has been chucked at the Ballet, Orchestra, and other “Arty” stuff that I am not interested in let alone care about.

There have been a few complaints about the money used to support Maori TV but what about the money that TVNZ has been given over the years, How much were they given to both set up, operate and how much do they take from NZ on Air to provide such quality programmes like NZ Idol, Presenters to mangle Te Reo Maori and to present Pakeha viewpoints on events. I don’t hear anyone complaining about this being a waste of taxpayers money or is this different??

If Maori TV wants to broadcast a mainstream event then they should become a mainstream channel. Simple as that.

@#24 are you kidding? I want to watch the rugby without that sort of thing being rammed down my throat, thank you very much. Thank heavens mainstream TV doesn't buy into that PC sort of crap.

Im Maori and the difference between me and other people who complain is that I don’t care who has it, as long as its free and I can understand what they are saying, I cant speak maori so it better be english for the important parts, which I suspect it will be. They will probably have some funny comedians to lively it up with a real Kiwi type approach; well you might as well make it enjoyable if we probably loose the cup again.

Nobody has full range of reception, I live in Newmarket in central Auckland and I cant flaming even get any of the free channels with our so called up to date arial and even with a freeveiw box which was BS and a waste of my money, reception in my area stinks even for cell phones!!! So I had to cough up the extra cash for sky which I hardly watch any tv anyway.

Some people stop your whining, providing they make good use of the money who cares...cant say much for TVNZ and its hopeless debacles for nearly 2 decades.

hek as they say, its only !TV BABY!

Don't care as long as it's free! The way the NZRFU / IRB is going next time it will won't be.I am actually amazed that this one isn't being covered by SkyTV. TV rights to SkyTV would pay alot of overpaid professional rugby player's wages! (Might even have been enough to keep a 14 team national competition going as well!!)

Enjoy it while you can folks.

Cam #11 01:06 pm Oct 06 2009

how about the channel developes without leeching off the taxpayer how about standing on its own two feet - you do know that TVNZ is taxpayer funded don't you? Both TV1 and TV3 receive funds from the government. Oh but it's different for Maori TV is it?

"And "one country, one people" rubbish, will never happen, or at least as iwi continues to bid for exclusive rights to the foreshore for an example." - had to go there. Maori never bidded for exclusive rights - Maori never intended to exclude anyone. That was scaremongering from Brash et al. An iwi argued contiguous ownership since 1840, and the Government legislated against their right to even ARGUE that they had claim! Corruption is when you silence peoples' right to challenge. How is that right?

@ WH #27!

I think they mean it doesn't broadcast to 100% of the country on the old analogue signal. 100% of the population don't all have Freeview set-top boxes.

Having said that - I know a few places in NZ that don't get Channel One either so I don't think any channel in NZ can claim they reach 100% of the population.

I don't really care which channel screens the RWC as long as it's free, but you do have to wonder how screening the RWC can be classed as 'fostering Maori development'?

@ sioux #20

The other channels were not out smarted, they just have to earn the money to bid with. Unlike the Maori channel who cannot function without being given money.

Simply put the Maori channel isn't smart enough to function on its own so your comment is rather poorly thought out.