Nelson Mandela Bay Christian radio station Kingfisher FM is back on air again in time to bring Easter encouragement and hope to listeners unable to meet in church or get together with their families during the lockdown period.
The much-loved station, which has been off air for the past 10 weeks due to a licence infringement, received a temporary licence just after lunchtime today and was live by 7pm this evening, said elated station manager Michele Lourens in an interview.
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The 45-days temporary licence allows Kingfisher to broadcast until May 10 with a special focus on reaching listeners in NMB and surrounds with programmes that celebrate Easter and all that Jesus has won for believers, as well as news and information on the Covid-19 virus and the lockdown.
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Lourens said: “I will be working on our next temporary licence application so we can keep on broadcasting and hopefully not stop broadcasting until our broadcasting licence comes through.”
As reported in our previous article on Kingfisher’s campaign to get back on air after a difficult season at the station which preceded its broadcasting suspension, the earliest it could be awarded a regular 5-year licence is August 1. The game plan of applying for special purpose temporary licences in the interim period was conceived at a very positive meeting between a Kingfisher delegation and the licensing authority, ICASA, in Johannesburg on February 25.
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The Kingfisher team worked hard to get their temporary licence application off to ICASA just before the start of the lockdown and is on track to get their Broadcast Licence application in before the deadline on the 30th of April.
“Everything is on track. The team is very excited, with just an overwhelming sense of the Lord’s hand in this happening — especially now during the lockdown,” said Lourens.
“Mama Ningi and Mama Nomakhwezi are on air now,” she said earlier this evening. “And Gareth Burley will be on the Breakfast Show tomorrow morning. Lize-mari will be doing Lifestyle with Lize and Ethan Black will be doing The Colour Cruise — the drive show — again.
“Then tomorrow evening it’s going to be Xolani Funde who is going to be doing Masibalane from 7 to 10 again. That’s the lineup.”
You can tune in to Kingfisher at 107.5 FM. The station will also continue to livestream at www.kingfisherfm.co.za
