Radio
Huna Al - Kuwait or Here’s Kuwait. These words were
heard for the first time when at 7:00 am on May 12,
1951, Radio Kuwait started its first transmission,
ushering in a new era in the history of Kuwait. Radio
Kuwait started its first transmission using a 0.5 KW
transmitter in one of the rooms in Naif palace. It later
started broadcasting on short and medium wave lengths
from the current Ministry of Information building. In
1960, a year before independence, four more transmitters
were added.
The first feminine
voice was also heard for the first time this year.
Efforts continued to boost the station’s transmission
and in 1990, before the Iraqi invasion, the station’s
transmission capacity was 500 kilowatt and its reach
included most of Europe and North America.During the
Iraqi occupation, Radio Kuwait continued to broadcast
from Saudi Arabia. After liberation, Kuwait was
determined to rebuild what it had lost. Radio Kuwait
restarted transmissions from Kuwait on March 3, 1991 and
two days later the medium wave channels were
operational. By the end of 1991, all channels had
started operating again.
Today, Radio Kuwait, under the
auspices of the Ministry of Information, uses
state-of-the-art broadcasting technology and its
programmes reach out to a much wider audience inside and
outside Kuwait. Its programmes in Arabic and English are
broadcast on the FM, MW and SW frequencies and cover a
wide range of subjects such as Arabic music (folk and
modern), news, discussions, and current and social
affairs.
Kuwait’s English language radio
stations broadcast a mix of current hit music and
popular oldest in rock, contemporary and other styles.
They also broadcast regular local and foreign news
updates and financial and sports reports. Operating 24
hours a day from one of the most sophisticated studios
in the world, local DJs and presenters are very popular
on both live and pre-recorded shows.
Today, with more niche channels
serving 24 hours a day, it has become possible to cater
to much larger audiences. Radio Kuwait today has number
of channels that broadcast various programmes covering
all spheres of life such as media information, politics,
society, literature, sports, the arts, news, songs and
Quranic readings around the clock. Some programmes are
also broadcast in English, Persian, Filipino and Urdu.
While some programmes are broadcast 24 hrs a day, others
are aired on time sharing/time slot basis.
There are three
radio transmission stations:
1. Kabd: Has 20 transmission sets which range between
medium wave and short wave.
2. Al-Makawa: Has two transmission sets and well as an
emergency set
3. Al-Jeewan: Transmits FM programmes in Arabic and
English.
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