In discussions with senior Icasa personnel, CTV (that has been running with temporary one year broadcast licences) was given assurances that its licence application would be considered - just to have it turned down because of Icasa's moratorium on the further community television licences due to ''scarcity of available radio frequency spectrum''.
''Cape Town's community television channel is a thriving and sustainable initiative that is often held up as a model for community television in South Africa,'' says Karen Thorne, CTV station manager in a press statement. ''The channel has been on air for two years now and broadcasts 24 hours a day to a monthly audience of 1,3 million people. CTV's turnover has doubled for the past two years in a row. CTV is calling on Capetonians to express their endorsement for the channel,'' says Karen Thorne and wants people to email letters of support to the chairperson of Icasa, dr Stephen Sipho Mncube, at chairperson@icasa.org.za
Karen Thorne says ''CTV believes that it has fulfilled the necessary requirements'' for a seven year licence. ''CTV has approached Icasa to review the decision, and hopes that a positive outcome will be forthcoming, to avoid the possibility of CTV being taken off air.''
