STATION'S PROFILE

….A Lifeline to the Heartland of KwaZulu-Natal ….

Mission statement: The purpose of KN Igagasi Lobunye Radio is to create a platform to unite the Church of Jesus Christ to communicate the Christian message in such a way that it brings positive transformation to our communities, by broadcasting a full range of quality radio programmes, primarily in Zulu.

     · Development History.

1994 Foundation of Radio-KN by a group of local church leaders.

1997 Foundation of Igagasi Lobunye, and a very successful one month broadcast.

1998 Broadcast licence applications submitted to the IBA.

Participation in Christmas Radio temporary licence.

2001 Widely acclaimed one month broadcasts in June / July and November / December.

Initial ICASA public hearing in October.

2002 One month broadcast July/August 2002. Repeat ICASA hearing in August. Refusal of licence application in December.

2003 Reasons for refusal given by ICASA. Legal challenge considered. Very successful one month broadcast in November / December focussing on AIDS.

2004 Very successful one month broadcast in April / May, giving life-skills training to over 1000 unemployed people in partnership with World Changers Academy . Public rallies held in Kwa Mashu, Umlazi , Mpumalanga / Hammarsdale, Pietermaritzburg and Albert Park, Durban . This was followed in October, November and December by further one-month broadcasts, focussing on bringing the Church together to make a difference in our communities, and again on the AIDS issue.

2005 The support for the station continues to grow. One month broadcasts in April/May and May/June exceeded expectations. These were in support of Manyakabana Women’s Empowerment Trust AIDS orphan project, and again with World Changers Academy and CYDI. A further successful one-month broadcast was in September / October. There was disappointment that one-month broadcasts planned for November / December and January did not materialise due to competition for broadcasting frequencies.

   ≈Location αnd broadcast coverage.

KNI Radio is centrally based, in Pinetown, and its 1000W FM transmissions off the 180m Alverstone tower reaches the urban heartland of KwaZulu-Natal , covering the whole of Durban , much of Pietermaritzburg, and along the coast from Umkomaas in the South to Stanger in the North. Close to 50% of KZN’s 8.5 million people will be within the reach of KNI’s powerful transmitter.

The studio is located at 44 Hill Street in Pinetown. 

             ® Broadcast Licence.

Applications for the 4-year broadcast licence were submitted to the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) in January 1998. Many bureaucratic delays, including the replacement of the IBA with ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) meant that the application was not even looked at until October 2001, when a Public Hearing was held in Durban . Because of procedural irregularities on ICASA’s part, these were declared null and void, and were repeated in August 2002. The way in which the application was processed was very unsatisfactory, and the licence refusal in December 2002 was not unexpected. Despite the fact that KNI Radio had proven competence and support, the licence was granted to a group with no financial backing, no technical expertise, and no experience.

KNI is currently pursuing various avenues to obtain a permanent broadcast licence. Unfortunately there is no procedure for legal appeal in the current Broadcasting act.

One month broadcast licences focussed on specific events are available, and KNI Radio is using these very effectively while awaiting a more permanent broadcast licence. Each broadcast is in partnership with an organisation that is making a positive impact in our communities.

The evidence is that the one month broadcasts are extremely popular. The testimonies of changed lives from these broadcasts are proof of the effectiveness of the radio station. During broadcasts, KNI Radio receives many hundreds of phone-calls, often up to one hundred in a day. Large numbers of people also make their way to the studio just to come and visit the station. Many people, once they discover the station, are reluctant to switch their radios off at night, in case they may miss a song or a message that may be especially meaningful to them.

• Programming.

KNI’s principal broadcast language is Zulu. The programming is Christ-centred, aiming to empower people to live lives according to Christian principles. The challenges facing our society require a change in life-style, and KNI aims to bring a fresh message of hope and comfort.

KNI follows a 50/50 speech/music format, and programming includes a full news service.

Comments, suggestions and any complaints should be addressed to the station manager, Sambulo Nkwanyana on 083 7679810 or 031 7025027.

There is a Programming Committee consisting of community representatives. More details from the Station Manager.

· Finances.

KNI Radio’s operating income for 2007/2008 financial year was

R170 000. The income was derived largely from advertising and donations from listeners.

Banking Details: KNI Radio, Standard Bank Hillcrest

Acc. no. 25 082 007 2, branch code 04-57-26-42.

Accountability:

KNI Radio is endorsed by both Trans World Radio, and by African Enterprise. Its trust account is managed by Ewing Trust co., and the auditors are D R Adams of Hillcrest..

• Personnel.

The current Board members are:

Pastor S.P.MKHIZE (Chairperson of the Board)

Pastor S.CHILI (Deputy Chairperson)

Mrs T. Gumede (Secretary)

Mr D. Hotchkiss (Treasurer)

Pastor MBHELE

Mrs S Mpontshana

Mr S. Nkwanyana (TEL 0837679810) (Station Manager/Ex-officio)