Only Stand Alone Māori Company at Qantas Finals

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Friday 20th October 2006

Stand Alone Māori Company Only Representative in Finals at Qantas Media Awards

Front of the Box Productions, maintains its dominance in Maori programming by being the only independent Maori company to make the finals of the 2006 Qantas Media Awards. Willie Jackson, Presenter of “Eye to Eye”, is a finalist in the prestigious and highly competitive ‘Best Current Affairs Presenter’ category. Front of the Box Productions who produces the show for TVNZ, is owned and operated by Claudette Hauiti, who says, “Both Willie Jackson and his team have worked hard to bring Maori issues to mainstream viewing and this nomination is testimony to their efforts.” Front of the Box Productions also produces ‘Arero’ for Maori Television, the only current affairs programme deliberately targeting the youth audience.

This is not the first time Front of the Box Productions has featured at the Qantas Awards. In 2002 it won the coveted ‘Best Documentary’ category with ‘Gang Girls’, the only Maori Company to ever win the award. “This win and Jackson’s nomination is significant because it’s an ‘open’ category which means we’re up against the county’s best journalists, directors, producers, broadcasters and independent companies, both Maori and Pakeha. It also means that Maori issues, news and views can foot it with the best primetime has to offer.” says Claudette Hauiti.

Jackson’s nomination this year sees him up against the likes of Susan Wood from Close Up TVNZ and John Campbell from Campbell Live TV3. This nomination consolidates Jackson as one of the rising stars of New Zealand’s media landscape. Following on from the hugely popular ‘Eye to Eye’, Jackson is now in pre-production with a new eight part “documag” series which has him touring the country with his long-time friend John Tamihere in search of practical answers to burning issues facing New Zealand. The programme, produced again by Front of the Box Productions for TVNZ, promises to deliver controversy.

ENDS

© Scoop Media