E Te Pouaka Whakaata Māori

English lyrics

Māori Television!

My frustration is immense
Like a distorted TV, it hisses within me
And gnaws in the pits of my stomach, a haha!

Your name suggests that you represent Māori. But your actions say otherwise. Seemingly,
you are no better than Pākehā media
That seek to debunk and discredit Māori
By focussing more on the negative, a haha!
Your words are plenty, and your thirst for sensationalism unquenchable! Ah me!

I reach for my remote;

And surf through the channels ...

Only to find your story on Awanuiārangi
Defaming Donna Grant, and her family;
Sensationalism at it’s best!

But what seemed bad, soon got worse ...

With your biased reports on Te Kōhanga Reo
Illustrated by your reluctance to produce a story
When the allegations against them were cleared

It wasn’t long before my patience was once again tested ...
Through your fascination with the negative
exploits of the Māori king’s family
Namely, his son Korotangi. Where will it end?

It is said that you were made
By Māori, for Māori
To advance Māori!
Rubbish!

Māori Television!

Clearly, you’ve boxed yourselves in
To a world already dominated by mainstream
A world that is ruthless and cold!
I challenge you to step outside the box!

Should you fail to do so,
My advice would be to close the box
Seal the lid, and bury it!
Until such time as new thinking is adopted,
And your uniqueness as an indigenous Māori broadcaster is realised!
I rest my case!
Power off, hi!