Pro-peace FM station falls silent

Occupied Jerusalem: A West Bank radio station that sought to bring Israelis and Palestinians together to the tune of easy-listening rock music has gone off the air because of a lack of funding.

RAM-FM had been broadcasting English-language talk shows and artists like Michael Bolton and Air Supply from a studio in the town of Ramallah since last year.

An official from the station confirmed on Monday it shut down last week. In a statement, the station said it was unable "to generate sufficient advertising revenues to sustain its ongoing operation."

Owned by South African Jewish businessman Issy Kirsh, RAM-FM was modelled after a South African station that provided a venue for reconciliation after apartheid. It attracted fans in both Israel and the Palestinian territories.