After a turbulent period, South Africa’s oldest campus radio station, RMR 89.7 FM, celebrates radio license renewal

This week, Rhodes Music Radio (RMR 89.7FM), South Africa’s first legal campus community radio station, announced that its radio license had been renewed by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for the next seven years until 2030.

This news follows the station’s relaunch in August last year, with its new Station Manager, Unathi Koboka, taking the helm after a turbulent period of change at the station that saw management changes and a reduced programming schedule since December 2021.

“The radio industry is currently facing serious challenges, which have been intensified for many local radio stations, particularly community radio stations, by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Koboka.

She added that RMR was similar to other community media with the challenges the station faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the renewal of the station’s radio license is a testament to the station’s commitment to the Rhodes University campus and the greater Makhanda community.

“This renewal speaks to our willingness to continue our mandate as community media, which is to inform, educate, and entertain these and other communities that we serve and those who have shown us unwavering support over the years. This mandate is even more important because we are the only community radio station broadcasting in Makhanda, as some of our colleagues in local radio are experiencing their own unique set of challenges with being on air at the moment,” Koboka explained.

Koboka said she hopes to spearhead many exciting developments at the station soon, which will be announced. In the meantime, she’d like to thank the RMR team, the RMR board, Rhodes University, advertisers and community members for their ongoing patience, efforts, and support in helping to transform the station over the last two