Radio Pretoria
Encyclopedia
Radio Pretoria is a community-based radio station in Pretoria
, South Africa
, whose programmes are aimed at Afrikaners. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in stereo on 104.2 FM in the greater Pretoria area. Various other transmitters (with their own frequencies) in South Africa broadcast the station's content further afield, while the station is also available on Sentech
's digital satellite
platform.
Constant Viljoen, who later founded the Freedom Front Plus.
When the government found out that Radio Pretoria did not comply with the above-mentioned conditions, the Minister of Home Affairs rejected its application for another temporary broadcasting licence and, only three days after the first broadcast, the station was ordered close down. However, broadcasting continued illegally. On September 21, a barb-wired fence was constructed around the studio premises, while right-wing supporters guarded the site with firearms, to prevent the authorities from shutting down Radio Pretoria.
Over the next few months, the station was in a constant battle with authorities over licencing issues, while its staff contituned broadcasting with or without permission. Occasionally, right-wing groups were still called upon over the airwaves to patrol the premises, as the police threatened to disable the station's equipment.
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, whose programmes are aimed at Afrikaners. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in stereo on 104.2 FM in the greater Pretoria area. Various other transmitters (with their own frequencies) in South Africa broadcast the station's content further afield, while the station is also available on Sentech
Sentech
Sentech is the signal distributor for the South African broadcasting sector. The organisation began operations in 1992 as the signal distributor of the South African Broadcasting Corporation...
's digital satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
platform.
History
Radio Pretoria was founded in 1993 by the Afrikaner Kultuurbond, led by Afrikaans reverend Mossie van den Berg. It was immediately controversial, as the South African government saw Radio Pretoria as a thinly-disguised mouthpiece for the Conservative Party. The station management obtained a one-day broadcasting licence for 10 hours from the government, on condition that the programming is aimed at promoting the Bible Society of South Africa's Bibliathon '94. Thus, on September 18, 1993, Radio Pretoria started broadcasting, after being officially opened by GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Constant Viljoen, who later founded the Freedom Front Plus.
When the government found out that Radio Pretoria did not comply with the above-mentioned conditions, the Minister of Home Affairs rejected its application for another temporary broadcasting licence and, only three days after the first broadcast, the station was ordered close down. However, broadcasting continued illegally. On September 21, a barb-wired fence was constructed around the studio premises, while right-wing supporters guarded the site with firearms, to prevent the authorities from shutting down Radio Pretoria.
Over the next few months, the station was in a constant battle with authorities over licencing issues, while its staff contituned broadcasting with or without permission. Occasionally, right-wing groups were still called upon over the airwaves to patrol the premises, as the police threatened to disable the station's equipment.