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Icasa denies radio licenses: Report

Johannesburg - The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has denied some prominent South Africans radio licences, the Sunday Independent reports.

Icasa refused to grant a license to Durban-based Capital Radio 604, of which former SA Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni's investment holding company would have owned 40%.

The ANC national executive committee member and his brother run Mboweni Brothers Investment Holdings together. Icasa's decision was due to Capital Radio's failure to provide proof of access to funding.

To start up a radio station in KwaZulu-Natal, Icasa demanded proof of access to R46m.

SLAM Gauteng, a sport-driven, lifestyle radio station, also failed to get a license. Its shareholders are former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe's management company, veteran broadcasters Ernest Pillay and Thomas Kwenaite's TK Vision, StarSat (formerly TopTV) boss Eddie Mbalo, and Supersport anchor Carol Tshabalala.

Icasa was reportedly not satisfied that the radio station's proposed National Empowerment Fund financial support was approved.

Film producer David Selvan's K2012010707, which applied for the same license as Capital Radio in KwaZulu-Natal, was also unsuccessful. His radio station would have been called SLAM KZN and included former Coca-Cola SA director and Kaya FM founding managing director Pat Dambe.

Selvan and Dambe were also part of SLAM Gauteng and SLAM Western Cape, whose applications were also unsuccessful.

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