13th March 2001
In South Africa, the negotiations that opened the way for democratic
elections in 1994 also led to the opening of the airwaves 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."
By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent ASSIST News Service To view this story
on-line, go to:
http://news.crosswalk.com/religion/item/0,1875,330991,00.htm
To view this story on-line, go to:
http://news.crosswalk.com/religion/item/0,1875,331596,00.htm
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