In addition to government funding conditions, the stations also have an individual and collective mandate to broadcast programmes for people of a wide range of particular religions, cultures, languages, ages and sexualities.

[2] The member stations currently serve Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Kāpiti, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

A government funding pool of approximately $2 million is now allocated annually for the eleven stations to produce programming for women, youth, children, ethnic and other minorities and people with disabilities in accordance with section 36(c) of the Broadcasting Act.

The first awards went to Wellington Access for Terry Shaw's Songwriting Show and John E. Joyce's Basically Speaking and This is Jazz USA.

Plains FM has also picked up awards for Sounds Catholic, A Belch on Sport, Japanese Downunder, Joanna Cobley's The Museum Detective, Tim's Talk and Janet Secker's Focus On Arts.

Nationally, there are a handful of programmes in Assyrian, Burmese, Chichewa, Gujarati, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Nepali, Persian, Filipino, Sinhala, Somali, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese languages - mostly on Planet FM.

There are also programmes for European migrants and language learners in Croatian, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish.

[12] The stations broadcast a wide range of specialist Scottish, jazz, blues, metal, brass, hip-hop, Latin and country music shows.

Free FM Hamilton has shows for Asian pop, rock, bluegrass, electronic, vocal, reggae and garage punk.

Otago Access Radio has experimental, pop, indie, vinyl, Afrocaribbean, jazz, stage and screen, Māori, German and women's music programmes, and a show dedicated to the work of Michael Jackson.

[13] Otago's Less Signal programme is an hour of experimental music, noise, free improvisation, drone and musique concrète; talking with local practitioners, aficionados and promoters and highlighting performances and releases.

Former Workers Party of New Zealand candidate Don Franks presents a show of his original music and commentary on Access Radio Wellington.

[18] Otago Access Radio features of a raft of local youth shows about comedy, online personalities, multiculturalism, children's stories, music and leaving school.

Several young people also host programmes about news, celebrities, social justice, sports, health, teen issues, worker rights and motherhood.

[22] Radio Kidnappers volunteer Charles Herb Peterson has received a Hastings Civic Honour Award for his Sunday night Christian programme At Close of Day.

Broadcasting since April 1995 and partially sponsored by the Salvation Army, the show includes contemporary and alternative music, Christian commentary and devotional messages.

There are also programmes on world wrestling, Manawatu speedway, Southland rugby, the New Zealand Special Olympics team, gaming, social media and living in motor homes.

[34] Running since the early 90s Aakashwani Bharat Bhavan is the oldest weekly show which is continuing to inform and entertain Bollywood music lovers.

Proudly sponsored by the Wellington Indian Association, the show is produced and hosted by Neelima Bhula, Mukesh Jeram and Beena Patel.

[38] The station is one of New Zealand's most multilingual media outlets, and broadcasts in English, Tongan, Arabic, Mandarin, Singhalese, Niuean, Punjabi, Tamil, Cantonese, Khmer, Telugu, Tagalog, Hindi, Nepali, Spanish, Italian, Gujarati, Marathi and Afrikaans.

At other times, the station follows an adult album alternative format, with swing, blues, roots/acoustic, alt country, soul, world and New Zealand music.

The Plains FM building was green-stickered and safe to enter, but staff were prevented from crossing the red zone cordon to access broadcast equipment for 5 weeks.

Station management continue to work with local agencies and Civil Defence to develop their role for all future disaster response programmes.

[49] Access Radio Taranaki invites a broad range of groups to make programmes, and refuses to exercise any editorial censorship or oversight.

It has broadcast in Hawke's Bay on AM since 1995 and FM since the early 2000s, reaching most of the region from Wairoa and Mahia in the north and Waipawaa and Waipukurau in the south.

[57] In addition to providing training, support, studios and remote broadcast facilities for programme-makers, Access Manawatu offers community event assistance, organises a summer concert series, provides summer school and school leaver radio training, and broadcasts the work of local musicians.

Over the years it has featured programmes from Rape Crisis, Trade Aid, the local library, film society, schools and minority groups.

A small group of volunteers formed Coast Access Radio in 1996, and began broadcasting during the Christmas of 1997 1512 kHz (AM) initially from a studio in Waikanae Museum.

New Zealand on Air covers about 65 percent of operating costs, and remaining funding are drawn from limited general advertising, programme sponsorship, Club Fresh listener subscriptions and private donations.