For the past couple of months (maybe more as my health has deteriorated a bit) I’ve spent quite a bit of time lying on the bed with the dog, listening to the radio. My favourite station is RNZ National, which has changed a lot since I worked there in the 1980s!

Why is it my favourite? It’s probably because it is strongly New Zealand in style. The announcers are New Zealanders, even the migrants with names and accents that are clearly from overseas. New Zealand news and culture feature strongly all day, although we hear plenty of news and culture from overseas.

This past week’s coverage of Te Tiriti o Waitangi celebrations has really brought that home. This would be the only country where te Reo Māori (the Māori language) would feature in broadcasts to the extent that it has, and it would almost be bilingual many times. I don’t speak te Reo Māori, but I have never felt excluded. Neither would the many Pākehā (New Zealand Europeans), including my old employers from many years ago who I know were there and do not speak te Reo.

We normally get lots of coverage of Te Tiriti this week in February, but this year it has been stronger as a result of the Act Party’s Treaty Principles Bill provoking a massive public response against it.

This afternoon I have been listening to the Culture 101 programme. Four hours of mostly contemporary music including a lot of New Zealand music. This is how to keep up with the latest releases, and it’s my weekly dose of contemporary culture. At the other end of the timeline are Saturday night requests; a tradition many radio stations have continued for decades. Although, these days Phil O’Brien pushes the envelope and has a loyal audience of people who I reckon must be like me aged in our mid-60s.