Mō ngā ringa auaha

Access media is at its purest when individuals or groups classified by section 36(c) of the Broadcasting Act criteria are given the means to produce and broadcast content about their issues to their communities.

Under the Act, the aim is to: “to ensure that a range of broadcasts is available to provide for the interests of women, youth, children, persons with disabilities, minorities in the community including ethnic minorities, and to encourage a range of broadcasts that reflects the diverse religious and ethical beliefs of New Zealanders”.

There are 12 community access stations operating from Auckland to Invercargill.

• It’s not a commercial station using commercial radio formats and other commercial programming elements, for example a breakfast show or drive time.
• It’s not a for-profit organisation.
• News or current affairs is not a part of stations’ core business.
• It doesn’t place a priority on radio commercials in their traditional formats as a source of revenue.
• It’s not a place where ‘down time’ is filled by volunteers coming in and playing at being DJs spinning their own tunes.
• It doesn’t have a single target audience.

See below to find your local station.

Content-makers are everyday people. Together with the paid staff they keep the 12 stations on-air 24/7, supplemented with a mix of carefully-selected music and various programmes sourced from around the world.

Stations are always interested in introducing new access media shows, and invite interested individuals or groups to talk to their local station about ideas for a show.

And thanks to our podcasting platform, accessmedia.nz, shows can stream globally.

Access media stations prioritise shows that reflect the values inherent in Section 36c of the Broadcasting Act. Namely, content that’s ‘by, for, and about’ a specific interest, point of view, or belief.

This includes programmes by, for and about:

• women;
• children & youth;
• people with disabilities;
• ethnic communities; and
• other niche communities.

Access media shows cover a diverse mix of health, community, music, youth, faith, and ethnic interests.

Many not-for-profit groups and organisations are under-represented in the mainstream media and use access media stations to get their message across in their own way and language of choice.

The 12 stations are not-for-profit organisations that are partially funded by NZ On Air. While their support enables stations to provide broadcasting facilities for a hugely subsidised price, some of the stations include small airtime fees.

Those airtime fees mean stations can provide you with the tools and support so that individuals and groups can make content by, for, and about their communities. 

For specific airtime costs, get in touch with your local station.