“It was a major relief for us as internet radio is not what it should be. The convenience of FM is vital to our audience,” he said.

Mr Griggs said a new broadcasting frequency of 93.3FM has been granted for the station instead of its usual 88.5FM as it had been allocated to another broadcaster.

He said Icasa had never provided the station with a valid radio frequency spectrum license before, which had contributed to its inability to continue broadcasting on its previous frequency.

Mr Griggs said the station was grateful for the unwavering support from the local community throughout its battle to get back onto the air.

“The team at Zone Radio viewed this fight as the fight for the right of community,” he said, adding that 80% of the R100 000 legal fees had been raised through donations from the community.

“The community kept us going. We felt we owed it to the community to get back onto the air.”

He said the station also wanted to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Mr Griggs’s partner Judy Roberson, its legal support, John McKnight, and Longbeach Mall.

Longbeach Mall marketing manager Minnin Du Preez said the mall was thrilled that Zone Radio’s license had been granted and that it will soon be part of the Longbeach Mall family.

“Our centre management is eager to support them by providing the necessary space to meet Icasa’s requirements, “ she said, adding that the partnership is set to bring “fantastic benefits”, including more promotional opportunities for the mall’s shops, stronger community connections, and increased excitement in the mall with a live studio presence.

“Longbeach Mall has always been about community, and this collaboration perfectly reflects our values. We're excited to be supporting Zone Radio and looking forward to their presence in our mall”.

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Victory for Zone Radio as broadcasting licence renewed