Young People Take Over Wellington Access Radio For Youth Broadcasting Week 2025

Young people take the spotlight at Wellington Access Radio during our second annual Youth Broadcasting Week, held this year from 19-25th May 2025.

The week is chock-full of youth-led content, exciting new youth projects, and even a live performance of the amazing band The Side Characters outside the station on Ghuznee Street.

Many of the stations regular programmes have given up the reigns to their weekly show to a young person in their community, including a Wellness & Wellbeing episode from high school student Jabez Vuki on peer pressure; Spanish-speaking show Que Onda! with four teenagers live in the studio; an episode of Punaaga Vagahau Niue with a group of young people talking about health; and a That’s Good To Know episode with Emerson Dyer talking about growing up with a disabled sibling.

Our Gateway programme is bringing the goods, with the debut of two new programmes from high school students, Ear Candy and Tell Me More, our regular youth shows Thing of the Week, Cigarettes Will Kill You, Wellington Girls Feminist Radio and Luvei Viti, plus some one-off specials from Year 9 & 10s on music, theatre and Shakespeare.

We also are announcing a brand-new youth project based in Porirua. Thanks to the Porirua City Council’s Young People’s Fund, we will be creating three short-run radio shows/podcasts with three different groups of young people in Porirua over the next twelve months. The shows will provide a platform for young people from different backgrounds to talk about the things that are important to them – we can’t wait to broadcast these new voices for everyone to hear!

Friday afternoon sees our first ever Youth Broadcasting Week live performance! Wellington band The Side Characters are well known around the city for their appearances at festivals and busking on the streets, and this awesome band of high-school students will be performing live outside the Wellington Access Radio station for the public and passersby!

The week will also be made up of youth broadcaster get-togethers, social media takeovers, and posters designed by young people.

Youth Broadcasting Week is an important part of the Wellington Access Radio calendar.

‘It gives us a great opportunity to highlight all the incredible shows and content that young people create with us,’ says Station Manager Tony Kemp. ‘We believe that it’s essential that young people have spaces where their voices can be heard. Youth Broadcasting Week is a way to promote the amazing shows we have, as well as encouraging and inspiring other young people to give broadcasting a go.’

‘I was nervous at first, but once I started it was really fun,’ says 14-year-old Lucy, who has taken part in a number of Wellington Access Shows over the last few years. ‘It’s really cool to be able to talk about my interests and thoughts on air and think that other young people are listening and maybe feeling the same kind of things.’

Youth Broadcasting Week runs from 19-25th May 2025. You can see the full schedule at: https://accessradio.org.nz/youth-broadcasting-2/

Young people (up to 25 years old) can create programmes at Wellington Access Radio for free. If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch via info@accessradio.org.nz

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