After receiving overwhelming positive response from listeners after a ‘call to action’ in its Listen for Longer campaign at the end of 2013, Radio Pulpit will launch its new programme schedule on Monday, 3 March. The Listen for Longer campaign evaluated and indicated support from Radio Pulpit’s listeners for a potential new language policy. Of the more than 17 000 listener replies recorded, 99% of Radio Pulpit listeners voted in favour of a new language policy and 1% against it. This reflected strong listener engagement and played a vital role in ICASA approving the new policy approximately one month after the campaign.
Research has shown that listeners of all South African language groups switch to other stations when Radio Pulpit broadcasts in languages that only a small minority of people in its reception area can understand. This led to a proposed increase of English and Afrikaans in the station’s programme schedule. Approximately a third of the programme schedule will be 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 language stipulations will assist Radio Pulpit in reaching as many South African listeners as possible,” Dr Roelf Petersen, managing director of Radio Pulpit, first-hand informed Radio Pulpit listeners in an interview about adjustments in the language mix.
