Civil society organisation Right2Know Campaign noted ‘with great sadness’ reports of ‘the switching off of over 29 community radio stations’.
R2K said lack of funding often made it harder for smaller radio stations to meet compliance requirements set by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the national regulator of broadcasting, electronic communications and postal services.
In a statement, the organisation highlighted ‘the silence of the minister of communications and Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) [a statutory development agency for promoting and ensuring media development and diversity] on our call for an annual grant that could assist in keeping community radio stations open’.
Such stations were ‘important (in) upholding democratic values’, and were integral to free expression and a ‘diverse media’. Ensuring community voices were heard, and that communities were autonomous in running community radio stations, were a key part of ‘realising democratic values’.
R2K complained that the reasons given by ICASA for closing down the 29 community radio stations ‘are not adequate’.
It added: ‘Compliance is not easy for community radio stations, particularly for those located in rural areas with little to no support from ICASA and the MDDA.’ R2K said among difficulties it identified were that some stations lacked the funds needed ‘for the paperwork involved in being compliant’, and a lack of clarity and guidance from ICASA on tax issues necessary for the clearance need for compliance.
‘We reiterate the call for ICASA to increase the frequency of their interactions with and training of Community Radio stations to assist them to be more compliant. ICASA must do more before they scrap these community radio stations.’