The Panel with Richard Pamatatau and Penny Ashton, Part 1

This episode of RNZ's All Programmes features a dynamic panel discussion on two major current events in New Zealand. First, the impending closure of Radio Wāiti, New Zealand's only Māori-language news bulletin, after 20 years, due to a proposed 30% funding cut from the Crown agency Te Māngai Pāho. Matthew Tukaki, General Manager of Radio Wāiti, reveals a last-minute three-month reprieve secured through partnerships with urban Māori authorities, but warns that the broader threat to iwi media remains. Panelists Penny Ashton and Richard Papatāu emphasize the cultural, linguistic, and emergency communication value of local Māori radio, criticizing the government's shift toward digital-only platforms and the controversial replacement plan, the National News Hub, which was awarded to a non-Māori-owned entity. The second major topic is the passing of a member's bill that lifts alcohol sale restrictions on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day for premises already open. While Penny Ashton welcomes the change as a matter of personal freedom and practicality, Grant Hewerson from Communities Against Alcohol Harm expresses deep concern over eroding cultural and spiritual traditions, warning of increased alcohol-related harm. The episode closes with a lighthearted but revealing 'question of the day' on musical artists one should like but doesn’t, with panelists candidly rejecting The Beatles and David Bowie due to perceived misogyny and over-saturation.