Hopes for the tide to be turned have been pinned on a new interim board elected last December.
SOUTHSIDE FM, a voice for South Indian culture in KwaZulu-Natal, has appealed for "crucial" and "immediate community support" as it goes through financial and staffing difficulties.
The station, which broadcasts on 107.2 FM across many parts of the province, was established in 2022 to promote South Indian culture, language, and music. But it has gone through numerous challenges in its early stages.
Hopes for the tide to be turned have been pinned on a new interim board elected last December.
Earlier this month, the station asked its listeners on its Facebook page to stand with them and help secure its future. It said it was making temporary adjustments to its broadcasting schedule due to financial challenges.
In the post, the station appealed to the community to support them with sponsorships and adverts to fund its operations as a "decline in advertising revenue has impacted operations, prompting necessary programming changes".
"Despite this, the station remains dedicated to preserving South Indian heritage through music, language, and dialogue. A refreshed lineup of presenters will ensure continued quality programming that reflects our community’s cultural values. To sustain the station, we urgently call on listeners and businesses to support us."
The statement said "immediate community support is crucial".
Following the departure of nine of its presenters, Southside FM had embarked on a presenter search - for volunteer presenters. The closing date for applications is this Friday.
In a statement to the POST this week, the interim board said they were in the process of conducting a due diligence review as part of its responsibility before formally assuming control.
"This review has revealed that the station, in its current form, is financially unsustainable and requires urgent realignment. As a community radio station, Southside FM does not receive government funding or financial support from any major entities. It relies entirely on advertising, sponsorships, and donations from the community to remain operational.
"Despite financial challenges, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our loyal listeners who continue to support the station. Your unwavering commitment reaffirms the importance of this platform in serving the South Indian and broader community."
The interim board said a key challenge had been sustaining its presenters.
"While most community radio stations operate with volunteer presenters, Southside FM has been providing stipends to assist with transport and related costs. Unfortunately, given the current financial constraints, this is no longer viable.
"Presenters were given the option to generate sponsorships on a commission basis, but there has been limited success in this regard. As a result, some presenters have stepped away, while others have chosen to continue in a volunteer capacity.
"In anticipation of these changes, Southside FM has made a call for aspiring radio presenters to apply and become part of the Southside family as volunteers. This presents an opportunity for passionate individuals to gain experience in broadcasting while contributing to the station’s growth. We acknowledge that this is not an ideal situation, and we are working to stabilise the station’s finances."
To achieve this, the interim board appealed to the community for support via donations, advertising and sponsorships and growing its listenership.
"We remain committed to ensuring the long-term survival and growth of Southside FM. The station is a vital community asset, and with collective effort, we can secure its future. Further updates will be provided in due course."
Tansen Nepaul, the station manager, said the last two years at Southside FM have been challenging "with financial constraints being our main obstacle"
"We have managed to keep the station running with huge sacrifices made by the board, management and staff of Southside FM. Two of our key sponsors, which were KZN Oils and Macrocom, have played a pivotal role towards keeping us on air. We currently have a new board of directors and a new business model to help sustain the station.
"Our licence expires in April this year and I was successful in renewing the licence for the next five years. While our challenges are great, I am confident our board of directors and management will find a way forward."
Businessman Karthi Moothsamy, the head of the Tamil Business Warriors (TBW) and the former chairperson of the board at Southside FM, said the station was previously funded through a business model.
He said the station's auditors were Morar Incorporated.
Following a directive from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the station needed to run as a non-profit organisation - for the community and by the community.
TBW and its partners funded the station for a year at a cost of R2 million, said Moothsamy.
"The operational costs, including staff salaries, come to about R250 000 a month with over 60% constituting salaries and stipends," he said.
"In September last year, Icasa said the station could no longer operate as a business model and anyone who was part of the board must reside in the area the station is based. Our mandate as TBW was solely as a business, which now had to change, and it also meant I was no longer eligible to stand on the board.
"However, Sugen Moodley, the co-founder of the TBW, and I now serve as advisors to the station manager and new board, who are responsible for the daily operations.
"The new board is currently conducting due diligence to determine how the station will be managed going forward. The presenters will serve as volunteers until the financial status of the station changes.
"The new board comes with a wealth of expertise and experience, and I am convinced that they will find the desired solutions to mitigate the challenges. However, community support is vital during these challenging times.
There are many detractors who want the station to fail due to their own selfish motives. An appeal is made to potential sponsors and the community at large to look beyond these detractors and give their full support in order to avoid fuelling the ego of some of these detractors whose motives are sinister."
Moothsamy said the station was "still young" and that lessons would be learnt along the way.
He encouraged the community to support and take ownership of the station.
"This is our station. Even if 1 000 of its listeners contribute R100 monthly to the station, it will contribute to keeping Southside FM afloat."