Tema Benjamin Hemi – Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahinerangi, Taranaki Whānui, Te Iwi Mōrehu.
Pou Whakahaere: Station Manager
Tema started his broadcasting career at Te Reo Irirangi o Whanganui AWAFM in 2007 as the stations breakfast show host for 10 years. He also took up the role as Programme Director of the station from 2015-2017. In 2018 Tema transitioned into the position of general news reporter for the Whakaata Maori News Service – Te Kaea and Te Ao Marama News. In 2019 Tema was offered the position of political journalist for Whakāta Māori in parliament’s press gallery. A position he held onto until his return home in 2023. Tema has also worked at Te Reo Irirangi o Te Upoko o Te Ika and Te Reo o Rangitaane Kia Ora FM as an announcer. Tema has also been a reporter for the Te Taihauauru regional news service Te Reo o Te Uru. Tema is passionate about working in the broadcasting industry and is grateful to be back at the station as the station manager where his broadcasting career started almost 20 years ago.
Eruera Rerekura – Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Ruaka
Te Kaiwhakahaere Hōtaka: Programme Director
Eruera began his broadcasting career while still at St Augustine’s College (now Cullinane College) as a 15-year-old on Awa FM in its first year 1991. After that, he studied at the NZ Broadcasting School for his Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications degree majoring in radio programming, voice production and audio engineering. He has worked at several other Māori radio stations including Te Korimako o Taranaki (New Plymouth), Ruia Mai (Auckland), and Te Upoko o Te Ika (Wellington). In 2004, he began his career as a Māori Affairs reporter at Radio New Zealand in Wellington for 11 years. While he was at RNZ he was part of the team that set up its own in-house Māori news service – Te Manu Korihi where Eruera presented the Māori news in English on RNZ National’s flagship programmes – Morning Report and Checkpoint. He transitioned to television news in 2016 working for Te Karere at TVNZ in Wellington based at the Press Gallery as the political reporter. In November of 2020, Eruera returned home to Awa FM, the station he started at as a schoolboy to become the programme director. Occasionally, when announcers are sick, he fills in for their shows, but he’s mainly behind the scenes and part of the management team.
Rima Ririnui – Ngāti Tuera, Ngāti Hineraro, Ngai Te Rangi, Morehu
Te Kaikaute: Station Administrator
Rima our administrator also doubles as the Awa FM lunch hour R & B maestro. She has a background in local and national government administration and joined Awa FM in 2010. Based in Ratana Pā her whakapapa to Te Awa Tūpua includes iwi and hapu from the moungā all the way to the sea. On her Ririnui side, she also close ties to her Tauranga family. Although her son is now an adult, Rima remembers well the fundraising voluntary work for their local Kohanga reo and traces her interest in Whanganui reo music to growing up with Native te reo Māori parents.
Moana Ellis – Uenuku, Tamahaki, Tamakana, Tūwharetoa, Kahungunu
Local Democracy Reporter Awa FM
Moana is the first Māori journalist to be appointed a Local Democracy Reporter in Aotearoa and the first full-time journalist at Awa FM. She has worked in New Zealand, England and Wales as a journalist and sub-editor, and in communications. A mum of three, she is from the middle and upper reaches of the awa and has worked for her Waimarino iwi in Treaty settlement. She has held a number of governance roles including for the Whanganui Regional Museum board and Tikanga Māori House, Mākaranui Marae, Raetihi Marae and Uenuku.
Ngāmetua Areaiiti (Mangaia, Cook Islands)
Kai paho Rarotonga: Cook Islands language show Saturdays 5pm – 6pm
Ngā was born and raised on Mangaia, the southernmost island of the Cook Islands, South Pacific. His Saturday show takes in the news and events of the local Whanganui-Manawatū Cook Islands community. A proud Papa and grandfather of Te Awa Tupua mokopuna, he is also a well known ukelele player. His show is one of the longest running Cook Island radio shows in Aōtearoa after he took over from Papa Tom and Mama Nina who broadcast the show for over 22 years on Awa FM.
Ben Seru (Fiji)
Ngā Kai Pāho Fiji: Fiji language show Saturdays 6pm – 7pm
Silo emigrated to Whanganui – Manwatū region over 25 years ago from her village in Fiji. Well-known in local Pasifika circles due to her advocacy for supporting Pasifika women survivors of domestic violence, she is joined by fellow Fijian Ben Seru who works as a social worker for Te Oranganui. Together they bring the Voice of Fiji from Whanganui show each week for their regional and national fellow Fijians.
Te Kakenga Kawiti Bishara – Te Ātihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Hauā, Te Iwi Mōrehu.
Hōtaka: Te Manawa Piharau (Parakuihi)
My career in journalism started at the end of 2021 after an internship began in Auckland, run by Whakaata Māori, Newshub, NZ Herald and Pacific Media Network. I was fortunate enough to be one of 25 diverse cadets to learn the basic facets of journalism from some of the best in the industry. From then my career in both communications and media has elevated me to a point of service for my iwi and people as I look to continue and professionally develop in that sector. Being at Awa FM is another steppingstone in my career but also a way to give back to our iwi as Māori broadcasting takes on a new frontier.
Kia Māoriori te noho.
Rauru Broughton – Whanganui, Taranaki.
Hōtaka: Te Awa Korihi
Rauru entered Māori radio in 1991wth Awa Fm as part of the very first announcing team. Rauru spent over a year and a half as breakfast announcer. In 1992 Rauru began as breakfast announcer for Te Korimako o Taranaki. Rauru also held the position of translator. Following Te Korimako o Taranaki, Rauru pursued a career in teaching te reo me ōna tikanga at kōhanga reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori. In 1996 Rauru returned to Māori radio with Te Ūpoko o te Ika Wellington as midday announcer. Rauru has been involved with a number of media projects over the years such a creating audio and visual martial for Learning Media and Whakaata Māori. From 1999 to 2012. Rauru was teacher of te reo at Ko Te Reo Te Mauri with Aotea associates Whanganui. 2013 to 2016 Rauru was senior lectrer a Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Mātauranga Māori. At present Rauru is working for Awa Fm. His Awa Kōrihiri show is in total reo with a focus on te mita and reo o Whanganui. Rauru is host of Pupuke te wānanga a Taranaki kawa and tikanga based program for Te Korimako o Taranaki. Another position Rauru holds is te reo advisor to Te Reo o te Uru news.
Alana Te Piki Broughton – Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Rangi, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu.
Hōtaka: Te Poutūmārō
Born and raised beneath the shelter of Arohanui ki te Tangata in Waiwhetu – Wellington, Alana kicked started her broadcasting career in 2018 at Āti Awa Toa FM. During her studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University, she worked as a tour guide at Te Papa and as an adult educator at various institutions and whānau homes around Pōneke. Her passion is in the provision of Te Reo and the sharing of stories. Alana escaped the burning city lights of Wellington in November 2023 to now live where her heart insists to be – Whanganui! Alana manages her own company, Haumako Limited, and now works as Pou Reo at Te Mātāwai for Te Hauāuru, Whanganui News Reporter for Te Reo o te Uru Regional News and is a proud member of Te Reo Irirangi o Whanganui for her show at 12pm-3pm weekdays.
Kia tupu matomato te reo i te whenua haumako.
Te Waiata Mason – Paerangi o Te Maungaroa, Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Porou ki Harataunga.
Hōtaka: Keep It 1 Hunnit -Drive Show Host
Te Waiata has been employed as a Radio Announcer @ Awa Fm for the past year. Te Waiata was an integral part of the Ratana Rangatahi Village, and her main role was to assist with Production and Directing of the social media/Live Stream content.
In 2018, Te Waiata was one of the Media Personalities for Hahana Summer Series Segment. During this period, Te Waiata was also the Co-Director and Co-Producer at the Secondary National Kapa Haka, He Pou Whenua – He Puapua Live Stream under Māori Television and Hahana. Te Waiata also assisted in directing/producing the “We Are Ratana” series with Treacherous Media & Hinge Productions. Te Waiata is a graduate of Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa, Kura ā Iwi, Wharekura and Whare Wānanga. Te Waiata is passionate about music and being creative. Her ultimate desire is to establish a company specializing in Production and Creativity with the ambition to return to her hapū and contribute to the development of the Virtual Awa Film & Media School.
Chaeli Manuel – Ngāti Porou, Ngā Paerangi, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngā Wairiki–Ngāti Apa, Te Iwi Mōrehu
Hōtaka: Pāpori Atu Pāpori Mai (Night Show)
First started career in media and broadcasting as a livestreaming presenter for the National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka competition held in Palmerston North. In 2019 Chaeli starred in rangatahi shows featured across Whakaata Māori like Hahana, Smooth TV etc. 2021 saw Chaeli become co-director of small media company, Muck Around Media (now trading as Aka Creative Limited) specialising in videography, photography, camera talent and social media marketing. Continuing her career in camera talent, Chaeli has since built an online presence across many social media platforms with a following of over 50,000 which led her to working in collaboration with TVNZ and Tiktok during the Matariki celebrations. Chaeli still holds her position as Co-director of Aka Creative continuing to provide photography and videography services to her communities.