Neil Waka

Neil Waka

Neil Waka is a New Zealand broadcaster and journalist. He has been in broadcasting for 25 years beginning in radio as a news and current affairs journalist before moving into Television. Waka helped establish and was the first presenter in New Zealand to present the weekday 4:30 pm news bulletins on ONE News for TVNZ, for almost two years from 2007.[1][2]

Career

Waka first became known on New Zealand television screens whilst working on TV3's 3 News from 1989, reporting general news and presenting news updates. He was seconded from the newsroom to present, report and produced a TV sports show which he fronted for three years before deciding to head back into mainstream news after being offered the presenter/reporter role for Nightline the late night news show.

With limited resources due to financial difficulties at the time for the network Waka learned to edit and often edited stories for Nightline. While at TV3 Waka also presented a number of television programmes including a show which encouraged fathers to spend more time with their children.

During this time Waka hosted the Air New Zealand in-flight video which he presented for six years. One of the most popular programmes Waka presented over a six year period apart from news was Inside New Zealand which constantly secured high ratings for TV3. After presenting Nightline for three years Waka began TV3 weekend 6 pm news presenter and stand-in for the week day 6 pm news slot.

Waka was one of the first mainstream news presenters in New Zealand of Maori heritage and left TV3 after being passed over for the week day 6pm news anchor. Prior to leaving TV3 in 1998 Waka had been the network trainer for television presenters and reporters over a four year period working with some of the frontline news anchors in New Zealand today.

Waka has the distinction of being one of the first main stream news readers to begin the news with the Maori greeting "Kia Ora" and he was the first television news anchor in New Zealand to sign off the news with his name "I'm Neil Waka, Good Night".

After more than nine years at the television station, Waka, who had studied martial arts from a very young age went to the United States to train full-time and fight as a professional kick-boxer, after a successful fight career in New Zealand, also training with and working as a corner man for World Heavyweight kick-boxing champion Ray Sefo,[3] regularly travelling to Japan for K1 events.

Waka was also one of the most sort after fight trainers at some of the most elite Health Clubs in Colorado and also spent some time training military specialists and law enforcement officers.

On his return to New Zealand after Hosting the Millennium celebrations at Okahu Bay, Auckland, Waka was immediately picked up by one of the top radio stations in the country before being offered the Television Breakfast news presenter role at TVNZBreakfast with TVNZ.

Prior to beginning his contract with TVZN Waka was shortlisted as a Board Director for TVNZ and consequently completed the governments directors course.

The following year as a much sort after broadcaster in radio and television he became news presenter for ONE News Late Edition. Twelve months later he took over as 6 pm weekday sports news presenter working alongside Judy Bailey, a position he held from the beginning of 2004 until October 2007.[4]

Waka has also covered the 2004 Athens Olympics from the home of the modern-day Olympics and in 2009 presented Breakfast and Midday news on TVNZ's ONE News.

After more than a quarter of a century on the frontline in both radio and television Waka chose to step away from his broadcasting career to utilise his experience in PR.

He is currently the Corporate Affairs Manager for Holden New Zealand and is also a part timer lecturer at Auckland University in the Broadcasting Degree.

Waka is still a much sort after MC, after dinner speaker and voice over specialist and recently fronted his first television commercial.

References

  1. ^ McNaughton, Maggie (27 October 2007). "4.30pm slot pulls in viewers". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10472436. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 
  2. ^ Francis, Clio (20 March 2009). "Taxis and booze cut as TVNZ wields axe". The Dominion Post. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2278144/Taxis-and-booze-cut-as-TVNZ-wields-axe. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 
  3. ^ "To be or not to be in the K1 is the question!". Rogue Magazine. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5nqHzPuVM. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 
  4. ^ Thomson, Ainsley (14 January 2004). "Dallow off air, Hosking axed". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3543472. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 

External links


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