Larry Parr has been appointed the new chief executive of Te Mangai Paho.
Larry Parr Photo: Supplied
Mr Parr has been working at the Māori Broadcast Funding Agency since 2008.
He said he was honoured and excited by the appointment because of the timing of achieving the position with Te Mātātwai, the new Māori language body meeting for the first time today.
Mr Parr was the current television and new media funding manager at Te Māngai Pāho and was previously head of programming at Māori Television.
Mr Parr believed Te Mātāwai would drive some change in the broadcasting sector, but said it will take some time.
"It will drive some change, certainly I hope it'll require us to collaborate more carefully across the sector.
"It will take them sometime to get to grip perhaps with the current broadcasting language landscape, but we don't have time so we need to come to grips with the challenges and hopefully get some good guidance or successful and positive ways forward for te reo."
Board Chair Dr Piri Sciascia said Mr Parr has dedicated a lifetime to working in the industry.
"Combined with a passion for te reo Māori and his significant experience in fund management, Larry is well suited to leading Te Māngai Pāho.
"The Board is delighted to have Larry to lead the organisation into the new environment established by the Māori Language Act 2016."
Mr Parr was also the current Tumuaki of Te Rūnanga o Raukawa and Chair of Ngāti Hikitanga and will take up the chief executive role from new week.
