Cape Town - It has been a roller-coaster year for everyone involved at RX Radio, a station run by and for children at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
The unique, award-winning radio station faced closure almost every month as it tried to stay operational and secure funding for future generations in the industry.
At the beginning of the year, because of the financial strain, the station lost three staff, leading to it operating with only two staff members.
As the year progressed, RX Radio embarked on several financial saving initiatives, including the #SAVERXRadio Campaign to raise funds for the station.
People went above and beyond to help, like Johandie de Kock, an accountant from Parow, participating with 13 other runners in the Two Oceans Marathon in April.
A reporter from RX Radio station, Qaqamba Cuba, 23, who lives with a disability, also competed in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon alongside Alan Jacobs, a Southern Striders runner, to raise funds for the station.
Even though the campaign didn’t fare well, it helped set in motion the idea that the station required financial assistance and closing it meant undoing RX Radio’s progress in elevating children’s voices in spaces that influence decision-making.
However, station manager Noluyolo Ngomani said 2024 seemed to be looking a bit brighter for RX Radio as the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) approved its funding application to the tune of R660 000.
“With this confirmation, including $30 000 (about R556 000) from a private donor in the US who previously committed to funding RX Radio for a period of three years, from 2021 until 2024, RX Radio has secured close to R1 160 000 towards their budget of R2 million,” Ngomani added.
Securing the funds means that they are looking at a shortfall of around R900 000.
The station has also submitted a proposal to The DG Murray Trust (DGMT), which confirmed that RX Radio would receive an amount of about R110 000.
“We are still waiting for the grant agreement to finalise this process.
“In the interim, as plan B and while we wait for DGMT to finalise, we have managed to fund-raise and leverage funds from various partnerships, which will lead us to break even at the end of the year,” Ngomani said.
Good Hope Meats Hyper, Crowson Family, the Eltroon Charitable Trust, South African Bone Marrow Registry and the Two Oceans Marathon Initiative have also contributed to keeping the station alive.
“This could really turn the trajectory of RX Radio for the better, especially now that we have an FM licence to use to generate revenue,” Ngomani added.
