Talk Radio 702 has been granted an application for the amendment of its commercial licence to allow the station to migrate to FM frequencies 92.7 MHz in Johannesburg and 106 MHz in Pretoria.
In a letter to Primedia Broadcasting, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) said it granted the application to allow the station to migrate to the FM frequencies that 702 applied for in its original application.
”It is a historic announcement and the best news we’ve had in 702’s 25-year history,” station manager Pheladi Gwangwa said in a statement on 702’s website.
She told the Mail & Guardian Online on Friday afternoon that everyone at the 702 office was ”jubilant” and that the ”exciting news is a momentous occasion for 702”.
”We’re all walking around here with giggly faces. We’re just so excited. We are having a party. There are people here with streamers and I was walking up to the second floor when I heard all this noise. There are actual drummers here,” she laughed.
When asked if 702 intends to change its name after the move to FM, Gwangwa said: ”We don’t plan on changing the name at all. Why change it if it works?”
In its 33-page document outlining the reasons why it granted 702’s application, Icasa chairperson Paris Mashile said: ”The authority considers that the only realistic and financially feasible option at this point in time, to ensure that Radio 702 remains on air in the medium to long term and does so with a transmission signal of reasonable quality, is migration to the FM band.”
Icasa has also exempted 702 from some provisions in current broadcasting legislation.
Gwangwa said Section 49 of the Independent Broadcasting Act provides for a maximum of two AM and two FM frequencies per broadcaster, but two frequencies cannot be in the same licence area. ”We and 94.7 Highveld Stereo [also owned by Primedia Broadcasting] will be in the same area. Our licence area overlaps.”
In its application to Icasa last year, 702 argued that the prejudice suffered by its listeners because of the poor AM signal warranted a departure from these provisions.
Gwangwa said she welcomes the Icasa decision as this is the first-ever exemption to be granted by the regulator to commercial sound broadcasters.
The station will be allowed a 12-month period of ”double illumination”. This means the station is allowed to continue broadcasting on both the AM and FM frequencies for a period of one year.
Primedia Broadcasting executive chairperson Dan Moyane commented: ”This is a landmark decision by Icasa. It has been a long road for us, but the hard work has paid off.
”We are delighted that Icasa acted as an enabler in the public interest. The public that consumes 702 was deprived of a quality signal over the years.”
Primedia CEO Terry Volkwyn said an announcement will be made in the next few weeks on exactly when 702 will migrate to FM. ”It could take between four and six months. Our FM equipment will be ordered this afternoon.”
Volkwyn added that the station will embark on a massive marketing campaign. ”We are absolutely thrilled and have no doubt that this decision will take 702 to greater heights,” he said.
Gladwin Marumo, chief operations officer for signal distributor Sentech, said this is a positive development for the market. ”It means that Sentech can now look forward to maintaining a stable network for 702. This is an improvement because 702 will be moving away from antiquated technology and to a more stable and robust platform.”