Manaia Go is working Nauru TV’s production crew as part of PCBL's Sports Broadcasting Development Programme.
By Michelle Curran
Executive Communications Manager, Pasifika TV/PCBL
For the remote island nation Nauru and its approximately 12,100 residents, it is vital for local stories to be told by the people of Nauru, in their own way.
Over the past decade, Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) has worked to strengthen the collective of indigenous broadcasters across the Pacific.
It has done this by providing not only content, but the technical knowledge, equipment, and human capital to support the storytelling of its 30 Pacific broadcast partners, in 15 countries, including Nauru TV in the third smallest country in the world.
As part of its newly launched Sports Broadcasting Development Programme, PCBL has contracted Manaia Go to work alongside Nauru TV’s production crew to provide technical assistance, assess their current equipment and workflow, and deliver practical training to support their production capability.
New chapter of sports broadcasting in the Pacific
Head of Programming and Sport at PCBL Tui McKendrick, who has four decades of experience with live broadcast, says sport is the universal language and PCBL’s new initiative addresses challenges and offers capability solutions within the region.
“Sport is a language that resonates with so many, and we see our Sports Broadcasting Development Programme as a pathway to training the next generation of sports broadcasters, while also sourcing more content the region is interested in.”
The Aotearoa-based Norm Mann and Mark Hepi are the directors of Manaia Go, established in 2023 to deliver audio-visual and streaming solutions for various events from an outside broadcast truck, and specifically aimed at helping indigenous people in their home country.
When called upon to support Nauru TV, the directors jumped at the opportunity, to be part of an initiative which supports the expansion and sustainability of media in the region.
The pair will cover specific areas in production a week ahead of Constitution Day, where the Nauru TV crew will execute an outside broadcast (OB) of the annual national sports carnival, on May 16.
Pacific-led production
Norm will focus his teaching on audio, which he says is often one of the more challenging areas for many Pacific production crews.
“I want to ensure the team gains a strong understanding of the fundamentals of sound, including gain structure, microphone placement, console operation, signal flow, and general audio best practices.
“Just as importantly, we want the crew to feel comfortable and confident throughout the training.
“Mark and I always try to create a relaxed, hands-on, and open learning environment where people feel free to ask questions, make mistakes, and build their skills in a practical way.”
From previous experience working in the region, Norm says Pacific production whānau respond really well when the training is free-flowing, respectful, and grounded in real production scenarios.
The knowledge and skills shared by Norm and Mark are deeply valued, as not everyone has access to this type of technical development, he adds.
“Our experience so far has shown that when we work alongside Pacific production crews, both the learning and the production values can grow significantly.
“We are genuinely excited about the opportunity to work with the Nauru TV team and to contribute in a meaningful way to the ongoing development of Pacific-led production capability.”
Forward focus for Nauru TV
Established in 1991, Nauru TV is the Government-owned, non-commercial sole television company in Nauru, under the Department of Nauru Media.
Secretary for Media Kaelyn Dekarube says as Nauru prepares to host the 2028 Micronesia Games, one of the main priorities for Nauru Media is staff training and development especially in OB productions.
“Hence we are very grateful to PCBL for providing the technical support and assistance needed, the team is very excited and eager to learn as much as possible, and the Manaia Go team has been exceptional,” Kaelyn says.
“I look forward to seeing them work with the OB kit in the upcoming Constitution Day Athletics Carnival.”
Nauru was set to host this year’s Micronesian Games; however, it will instead host the 2028 event, coinciding with Nauru’s 60th anniversary of independence.
Meanwhile, Chief Operations Officer at PCBL Junior Hunter says the initiative has clear objectives for the organisation to achieve.
“The Manaia Go team are in Nauru to train the production crew so they can deliver a full end-to-end OB simulation exercise before supporting them to successfully delivering a live OB of the Constitution Day sporting events, which will then be shown across the region via Pasifika TV,” Junior says.
“We are creating that foundation of institutional knowledge and confidence at Nauru TV, so the team can plan, prepare, and deliver future OB productions independently, including the Micronesian Games, aiding in them becoming a sustainable business.”
Check the Pasifika TV schedule for Nauru TV Constitution Day coverage.