The FXI has been engaged with the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) in lobbying to ensure that the regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) speeds up the process of licensing community radio. This process has been dragging for some years due to lack of capacity in the regulator to handle the workload. This is a long-standing area of activity that now seems to be yielding some fruits, although the process is still too slow.

Once the hearings are complete, the FXI and NCRF intend to conduct a review of the whole process, which will be fed into an enquiry ICASA is obliged to carry out before it can advertise for application once again. The review will be conducted by the community media policy research unit. FXI aims to utilise research from the Community Media Policy Unit to lobby for a more effective licensing regime for community radio to ensure that this problem is dealt with and does not keep repeating itself to the long-term detriment of community radio.

In addition, the FXI and the NCRF will continue to engage with Icasa on the opening up of licensing for those community radio stations that missed the 1997/1998 deadlines for applications, or that have emerged since these deadlines passed. The two organisations will also identify priority areas in the country where services are lacking, and engage Icasa specifically on opening up licensing in these areas. This will link up with research being conducted, through the Community Media Policy Unit, into the allocation of frequencies which is hampering development of community radio in some areas. The community radio sector has identified that community radio stations are not equitably distributed in terms of rural/urban distribution and in terms of provincial distribution. This situation needs attention and the FXI aims to lobby for such considerations in its dealing with Icasa.

The Community Media Policy Unit is also conducting research on the sustainability of community radio. The outcomes of this research will be used to identify areas where training and other activities need to take place. The FXI will participate in collaborating with the NCRF to ensure that sustainability strategies are investigated and implemented where possible.

Also see the Community Media Policy Research Unit for more information