Volcano Radio 88.5FM was a volunteer-run community radio station based at Shadbolt House in Lyttelton, broadcasting from February 2008 until October 2012 when its home was demolished following the Canterbury earthquakes. Founded by musician Carmel Courtney, it ran eighty shows commercial-free and was a vital part of Lyttelton’s tight-knit arts community.
Plains FM (later Plains Media) has broadcast on 96.9FM from Christchurch’s Ara campus since 29 February 1988, serving Canterbury as one of New Zealand’s twelve community access radio stations. Governed by the Canterbury Communications Trust and part-funded by NZ On Air, it produces over 100 programmes a week in 15 languages, representing communities largely absent from mainstream media. In April 2025, after 37 years, the station rebranded as Plains Media to reflect its expanded reach across digital platforms.