The screen guild - Nga Aho Whakaari (Maori in Screen Production) - has criticised Television New Zealand for what it says is an unrealistic deadline in its outsourcing of Waka Huia and Marae Investigates.
In October, the state broadcaster announced that the programmes would be transferred to outside companies which have until Friday to bid for the contracts.
The deputy chair of Nga Aho Whakaari said that deadline was based on economic expediency.
Kim Muriwai said TVNZ was acting with unseemly haste and placing unrealistic demands on its Maori production staff who wanted to apply for the contracts.
Ms Muriwai said it was disappointing to see that Maori broadcasting funding body Te Mangai Paho being complicit in setting such deadlines which puts Maori production companies on the back foot and sets them up to fail.
Te Manu Korihi has made a request to TVNZ for comment.