A community access radio station has decided not to air interviews with electoral candidates because of fears it could be hit with expensive legal action.
Coast Access Radio in Kapiti and Horowhenua recorded about a dozen 30-minute interviews with Kapiti and Mana candidates, but they will not go to air.
The station says It risks being fined $100,000 if they do, because the interviews could be interpreted as soliciting for votes.
Station manager Graeme Joyes describes the interviews as profiles filled with what he calls soft "patsy questions".
But he says with an annual running budget of just $150,000 it Is not worth the risk.
Issue 'long-standing'
The Electoral Commission says what community access radio stations can legally broadcast from electoral candidates has been a long-standing concern.
The commission's Peter Northcote says access radio comes under the same electoral rules umbrella as all broadcasters.
He says the point of news and current affairs programmes is not to give free advertisements for candidates, but to test and question them and not provide an open microphone.
Other access stations affected
Other access radio stations agree including Radio Southland.
Manager Matt Rutherford says it had planned a debate between its Invercargill candidates but is now reviewing that decision.
Access Manawatu says there had been a lot of e-mail traffic over the Kapiti situation between access radio stations during the day.
Manager Fraser Greig says it does not bother with candidate interviews anymore because of the risk of a fine.
