Guatemala (MNN-HCJB) — Christian radio is quickly becoming scarce in Guatemala. According to reports, most Christian radio stations in Guatemala have been forced off the air because of the pressure secular radio stations are exerting on the government.
"Over the past four years, the [Guatemalan] Congress has received a lot of pressure from the secular radio station owners that they're losing revenue to the Christian stations which are becoming more and more popular," said one radio station owner. Congress has refused to move on the issue, so it could be another four years before it's resolved.
Police reportedly have used violent tactics in taking some of the stations off the air. Radio licenses in the country are so expensive that many missions and churches have decided to operate on community frequencies similar to those on the U.S. non-commercial FM band.
HCJB Global Voice says they're providing programming to their partner station Radio Impacto in La Mesilla, Guatemala, from ALAS, HCJB Global's Spanish satellite radio network. Programming from ALAS is aired by more than 125 outlets across Latin America and one in Spain.
