Access Radio, that often invisible beacon of community broadcasting, is marking 40 years, and to celebrate there is a book being launched about the history. 

The grassroots network of 12 NZ On Air-funded community access radio stations transmit daily in more than 49 languages, also publishing an array of online podcasts and other audio.

The book titled Sharing The Mic – the History of Community Access Radio in Aotearoa New Zealand was researched and co-written by Brian Pauling and Bronwyn Beatty of the NZ Broadcasting School in Christchurch. The authors travelled the country taking in the people and stories that have shaped community access media and made it what it is today.

NZ On Air Chair Ruth Harley says investment in Access Radio is as important now as it was in 1991 when NZ On Air began funding it, adding that Access Radio keeps heritage languages alive and communities connected in a way no other media can. The book is available for purchase online here.