Plains FM kicks off fundraising campaign following theft

Not-for-profit community access media station, Plains FM has kicked off a fundraising campaign after the theft of its station vehicle in January.

Celebrations of the station’s 36th anniversary on 29 February have been hampered after a beloved, sign-written Nissan Serena became a battering ram to exit a locked car parking compound in the central city a month earlier.

Station Manager Nicki Reece said the theft was a big deal for the community hub, “’cause it wasn’t just a means of transport – it was our roving billboard and used for everything from transporting gear for outside or emergency broadcasting, to attending events and doing community engagement. It wasn’t a great way to start the year.”

“The first I knew about it was 1am on Sunday morning!” said a bemused Station Manager Nicki Reece.

With insurance failing to meet the shortfall, Plains FM started a Give A Little page to raise wider community support.

“We’d really rather be putting time and money into having a birthday event celebrating all the amazing local people we come into contact with every day and who make great content for the
benefit of the community. But this year it was our Nissan starting the year with a bang and a wild night out – we might just have a quiet 36th gathering until we get back on track” Reece said.

The station originally began on 29 February 1988 with three hours a day of terrestrial broadcasting on 96.9FM. It has grown to a 24/7 operation with 120 programmes presented by over 150 community producers. Content is aired, livestreamed and available as podcasts with content creators also using Facebook Live, and sharing content on You Tube and active social media pages.

If you’d like to donate go to: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/plainsfm-burnt-out-vehicle