Neil Waka
Encyclopedia
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.
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
, 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.
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.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
broadcaster and journalist. He has been in broadcasting for 25 years beginning in radio as a news and current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
journalist before moving into Television. Waka helped establish and was the first presenter in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to present the weekday 4:30 pm news bulletins on ONE News for TVNZ, for almost two years from 2007.
Career
Waka first became known on New Zealand television screens whilst working on TV3'sTV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
3 News
3 News
3 News is the television, internet and radio news service of New Zealand's TV3. Its flagship bulletin, which airs every evening at 6:00pm, is anchored by Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts. Carolyn Robinson and Simon Shepherd are weekend and substitute anchors...
from 1989, reporting general news and presenting news updates. He was seconded from the newsroom to present, report and produced
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to train full-time and fight as a professional kick-boxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, after a successful fight career in New Zealand, also training with and working as a corner man for World Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
kick-boxing champion Ray Sefo
Ray Sefo
"Sugar" Ray Sefo is a New Zealand kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He is five time Muay Thai World champion and eight time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals tournament participant, currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada and training with Xtreme Couture.He holds notable wins in the K-1 over...
, regularly travelling to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for K1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
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
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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
Judy Bailey
Judy Ann Bailey ONZM is a former news presenter for ONE News, the highest rated evening television news programme in New Zealand. She has been called the "Mother of the Nation"....
, a position he held from the beginning of 2004 until October 2007.
Waka has also covered the 2004 Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
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.
External links
- Neil Waka at TVNZ