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A bid by Heart FM to have the terms of its radio broadcasting licence amended has sparked concerns from the news fraternity that the station will downscale its editorial operations, serving a blow to independent news.In a notice by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), which Business Times has seen, the regulator said Heart GM has made an individual commercial sound broadcasting service (I-CSBS) licence amendment application.The notice said Heart FM proposed that the news broadcasting obligations attached to its licence be reduced. In the notice, Icasa chair Mothibi Ramusi gave stakeholders 28 days after the publication of the notice on May 12 to respond in writing.“Persons who lodge representations must also indicate whether they wish to make oral submissions should the authority decide to hold a public hearing in respect of the application … The applicant has the right to respond in writing to the representations made by any interested person on the application,” the notice said.Heart FM also applied to have its radio station format amended from “adult contemporary jazz” to “adult contemporary”, and for its obligations to appoint women on-air presenters and a R1m investment in employee training to be removed.“The application seeks the approval of the authority to amend its I-CSBS licences as follows … [the licence obligation that] the licensee shall broadcast news on a regular basis for a minimum of 30 minutes each day between 05:00 and 23:00 [to] … a minimum of 30 minutes on weekdays between 05:00 and 23:00,” the Icasa notice said.William Bird, the director of Moxii Africa, sent a submission to Icasa stating the organisation’s strong objection to Heart FM’s proposed deletion of its obligations, saying they were not onerous on the station.“Heart FM merely needs to demonstrate that it has taken active steps to pursue the appointment of women on-air presenters to discharge its obligation. The proposed deletion is at odds with the gender equality and skills development objectives of the existing broadcasting legislation, namely … [the] Electronic Communications Act [and the] Broadcasting Act.“Accordingly, it is not in the public interest for Icasa to grant Heart FM’s application in respect of the proposed deletion of its obligation to actively pursue more women on-air presenters.”Bird’s submission said it was untenable that Heart FM sought to do away with its training and skills development obligation when editors, journalists and news production staff operate in a continuously changing environment.“Media houses across the globe are signing up their editors, journalists and news production staff to programmes that support innovation and capacity-building in news organisations to make the potential of AI more accessible and to counter inequalities in the global news media around AI,” he said.“In deleting its training and skills development obligation, Heart FM is fundamentally compromising its own staff who will, for instance, have no training on how to use and report on AI, and how to report on the upcoming local government elections utilising new tools and resources.”Bird said it was his understanding that Heart FM seeks to delete, in its entirety, its obligation to spend R1.116m over the period of its licence on an employee training programme, as outlined in its I-CSBS licence.“It is our understanding that Heart FM seeks to delete, in its entirety, its obligation to ‘actively pursue the appointment of more women on-air presenters’, as set forth in clause 7.3 of its I-CSBS licence.”Prof Glenda Daniels, secretary-general at the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef), said she found the clause on on-air women presenters to be especially unfortunate, especially as editor of the “Glass Ceilings 2026: Women in SA Media” report, to be released in August. “Women’s exclusion, by different means, in media is increasing, and this clause makes it worse. This leads to a lack of diversity and plurality in media, and is bad news for democracy. [This is a] stunning backlash against women,” she said.Sanef project manager Hopewell Radebe told Business Times that while Sanef acknowledges that many commercial and regional radio stations across South Africa face severe resource constraints, trading public-interest journalism for pure entertainment sets a dangerous precedent.“A functional, independent news division requires a minimum structural investment — including an editor, producers and field journalists. However, viewing these requirements strictly as a financial burden to be cut undermines the core civic duty of commercial broadcasters who occupy public airwaves,” he said.Radebe said Sanef was also concerned about the erosion of skills and media expertise, as well as information starvation and media market distortion. “Moving away from news mandates directly damages the media ecosystem by shrinking the job market for media workers and disinvesting in the vital skills development and training of upcoming journalists.”He said that if Icasa allows stations to quietly drop their news mandates, it creates an unhealthy market distortion and risks denying the public essential, verified information. Removing the radio, which is a primary lifeline for communities, starves citizens of updates and developments in their country, he added.A request to Heart FM for comment had not received a response by the time of going to print.Business Times
