Radio Pretoria may fight on
2003-03-27 16:11
Pretoria - Radio Pretoria, a community radio station aimed at "Boere Afrikaners", was given a chance on Thursday to continue its fight to stay on the air.
Pretoria High Court Judge Ronnie Bosielo granted the station leave to appeal against some legal issues in an earlier judgment.
The earlier judgment, handed down by Bosielo, confirmed a decision by the Independent Communication Authority of SA (Icasa) not to extend the station's licence.
Another court might come to a different conclusion, he said.
Justice and fairness required that Radio Pretoria should be granted leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein against a limited number of legal issues raised in his judgment, Bosielo said.
Earlier this year Radio Pretoria applied to the court for a review of Icasa's February 2001 decision which gave the station 30 days to stop broadcasting. The station was allowed to stay on air pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
'Self-perpetuating oligarchy'
Bosielo dismissed the application in February. He criticised the station for "knowingly and brazenly" ignoring its licence conditions, and for its discriminatory employment practices and its appointment of directors. This, he said, amounted to "a blatant and indefensible self-perpetuating oligarchy".
Some of the issues that will be raised on appeal include questions around the election of the station's board of directors and its employment practices.
The judge said on Thursday he had no doubt the issues involved were of substantial importance, not only to the parties but also to listeners and other broadcasters, if not the general public.
Radio Pretoria has maintained that Icasa's decision was irrational and that it directly infringed upon the interests of the radio station, its employees, advertisers and some 115 000 listeners.
It was argued that closing down a radio station was a step that should not be taken lightly in an open and democratic society.
- SAPA