MASERU — Private radio station, Joy FM, has submitted an application to the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) seeking to renew its licence.
Joy’s licence is expiring at the end of next month, 10 years after they first went on air.
The station’s manager, Ntando Maseko, confirmed to the Weekender that they were seeking to renew their licence.
Maseko said they have been off-air as they are undergoing a technical shake-up.
The station said they were also using this time to upgrade their transmitters to enable them to reach a broader coverage.
Maseko added that they expect to be back on-air before the end of next week.
Joy FM was also shut down for three months last year for interfering with other stations’ frequencies.
LCA public relations officer, Tšiu Tšiu, confirmed to the Weekender that LCA had received Joy’s application to renew their licence.
Tšiu said although the station was currently off-air, their case would be treated in the normal way.
“We are still going to follow all the formal steps when looking into an application irrespective of the activity of the station,” he added.
LCA would also look into Joy’s business plan to see if it would ensure the sustainability of the station in future.
Tšiu said the station was broadcasting at half power after their suspension last year.
“Their licence was suspended for three months last year for interfering with other stations’ frequencies and when they came back on air they were broadcasting with half power,” he added.
He said as for Joy’s limited coverage, the matter is beyond the LCA’s control.
The Authority offers licences that do not restrict coverage, hence it is up to Joy to ensure that they secure more powerful transmitters to reach wider coverage.
Joy has often encountered poor quality transmission that even those around Maseru Central Business district struggle to hear them clearly.
Comments are closed.