Christian broadcasting in South Africa under threat
by Michael Ireland
ANS (11.03.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (12.03.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - In South Africa, the negotiations that opened the way for democratic elections in 1994 also led to the opening of the air-waves to Christians.
Some 16 Christian radio stations were given "temporary" one-year FM broadcast licenses, and the American Christian TV network, Trinity Broadcasting Network, was allowed to operate over a large part of South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
"Over recent years, there has been a tightening up by the authorities," said Dave Hotchkiss, a member of the Association of Christian Broadcasters of Southern Africa and Secretary to KNI Radio, a Christian broadcast organization that has a pending application to broadcast on FM to over 3 million people in the Durban/Pietermaritzburg region, mainly in the Zulu language.
Hotchkiss said that in January 1998, applicants were invited to submit documentation in support of four-year "permanent" broadcast licenses. "Now, three years later, less than half these applications have been processed. Only one new Christian radio license has been issued, and five Christian broadcasters have either been denied permission to continue, or forced to close," he said.
"Two of these radio stations, Link-FM in East London, and Kingfisher in Port Elizabeth, are currently fighting their closure in the law courts. In both cases, their license has been promised to other non-Christian applicants, while there are available radio channels standing empty," said Hotchkiss.
Hotchkiss added: "Broadcast applications in the most populous provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Gauteng (Johannesburg/Pretoria) have not yet been processed. There are available frequencies, and Christian broadcasters with the resources to bring the life-giving Gospel to these regions. There is no scheduled date for these applications to be processed."
Hotchkiss asked that believers in the West pray for Christian broadcasting in South Africa. "Pray for those broadcasters struggling with large legal costs. Pray for a successful outcome to the court cases."
He also asked for prayer for those broadcasters awaiting their hearing by the authorities, "that they will be well prepared, and for the broadcasting authority (ICASA), that they will be fair in granting licenses to Christian broadcasters who can make a positive difference in our country, and that they will not be motivated by an anti-Christian political agenda."
