Community Access radio statistics

New Zealand On-Air provides a total of $2.365 million across 12 radio stations for which we create:

• 105,120 hours of local radio on air
• 35,000 hours of community content
• Almost 30,000 hours of which is Section 36c content (described in the Broadcasting Act 1989)
• Many thousands of hours of personnel working in training, engineering and technology, community capacity building, promotion, fundraising, administration and radio management.

NZ On Air funding represents a median contribution of $89 to each hour of 36c content – compared with a contribution of $1,816 per hour to Radio New Zealand from NZ On Air or $780 an hour for independent radio production.

Tens of thousands of volunteer hours are contributed by citizens willing to make their own communications in the absence of other services addressing their needs.

Community access broadcasters pay three ways:

• taxation
• purchase of airtime
• volunteer hours they put into programme production

The income needed to provide all capital expenditure and between 16-46% of operational funding comes from broadcasters themselves and station fundraising. The need for potential broadcasters to pay for airtime is the primary restriction on access.

(statistical information as at August 2010)