Radio Pulpit, a Christian community radio station with widespread reception, has applied to Icasa to change the language mix in the station’s license. This radio station has been the daily companion of listeners for more than three decades. The changes in the language mix will enable listeners to listen for longer in a language that they understand.
Research has shown that listeners of all races switch to other stations when Radio Pulpit broadcasts in languages that only a small minority of listeners in its reception area can understand. According to Dr Roelf Petersen, managing director of Radio Pulpit/Cape Pulpit, this fact led to a proposed increase of Afrikaans and English in Radio Pulpit’s programme schedule, which will lead to a language mix of approximately a third of the programme schedule allocated to English, African languages and Afrikaans respectively.
“It is important to Radio Pulpit to bring the Gospel of Christ to as many South Africans as possible. The fact that listeners will be able to listen for longer, due to the proposed changes in the language mix, will assist Radio Pulpit in reaching more South African listeners.”
Radio Pulpit is asking listeners to tell them how they feel about the future language mix by emailing listen4longer@radiopulpit.co.za with their comments, or should they agree with the policy, they can vote for it on the web at www.radiopulpit.co.za, “like” it on Facebook or show support by texting the word “NEW” to 37871. Sms’s cost R1.50 per sms.
