Former general manager of Radio 531pi Ltd and Niu FM Sefita Hao’uli alongside television and radio broadcaster Foufou Susana Hukui were recognised at the 2024 NZ Radio & Podcast Awards
Held in Auckland on Thursday night the duo were recognised for their long service to broadcasting in New Zealand.
Of Tongan heritage, Sefita was part of the Pacific community in the 1990s, which was instrumental in the creation of the community Radio station 531pi, broadcasting on the AM band.
Later that decade he was part of the Pasefika Communications Network Ltd team which won the tender to operate the newly created National Pacific Radio network which went to air in 2002 as Niu FM.
On accepting the award, Sefita says he is reminded of those who made it possible to set up a tool that the Pacific community could use and benefit from.
“Aupito, Anae, John Kainuku, Hunuki, Toesulu, Filipo, Brian and Jan Chamberlain, as board members they all leaned in to get us started and kept us on air especially when the going was tough and kept our hopes alive.”
“Our community program producers who volunteered for many years when we could not afford to pay them-and our paid staff who were worth a great deal more than what we were able to pay,” says Sefita
And one of those volunteers from the rock of Niue was Foufou Susana Hukui. Foufou was not only the first presenter for Tagata Pasifika in 1987, she was also behind the mic presenting for the Niue community language programme on Radio 531pi and Niu FM.
After more than 30 years in the radio industry, both Sefita and Susana have helped herald in a new generation of Pacific broadcasters and built the capacity of Pacific broadcasting in general.
Another big win for Best Pacific Podcast was radio station Flava’s show, Island Roots, Auckland Ways, hosted by Mariner Fagaiva, Allyssa Vernar-Pula, Helen King and Marty Hehehwerth.
And for the ninth time Best news reader went to Newstalk ZBs Niva Retimanu.
