JEDDAH, 22 January 2004 — The Pilgrimage Enlightenment Radio, a seasonal arm of the Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom, will begin transmitting round the clock from tomorrow. The Pilgrimage Enlightenment Radio began transmission at the beginning of Dul Qaada for 12 hours daily but from the first of Dul Hijjah it will broadcast for 24 hours each day. The 24-hour broadcasts will continue until the end of Dul Hijjah.
“It’s a special transmission for pilgrims that is broadcast every year during Haj,” said Samar Fatany from Saudi Radio. “It provides information about Saudi rules and regulations, Haj rituals, services provided and also a news bulletin,” she told Arab News.
The Pilgrimage Enlightenment Radio transmits in eight languages: Arabic, English, French, Persian, Turkish, Hausa, Indonesian and Urdu. It transmits on two Medium Waves: on 594 Kilohertz for listeners in Makkah and the neighboring areas and the other on 1017 Kilohertz for listeners in Madinah. It also transmits on two FM Waves of 94.2 Kilohertz and 101 Kilohertz for listeners in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.
The radio’s technical equipment, programs and staff are provided by the Ministry of Culture and Information. Its performance is monitored by Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy and his assistant, Prince Turki ibn Sultan. Several official departments, as well as relevant establishments, are regular contributors of programs to the Pilgrimage Enlightenment Radio.
Among the new programs this year is one entitled: “With You on the Air” which provides live coverage of the various activities relating to the pilgrimage and pilgrims. This includes up-to-date reports monitoring pilgrims’ movements from one place to another and instructions regarding matters of interest in the fields of religion, health, environment, safety and motor traffic. This new program also features interviews with pilgrimage specialists and the pilgrims themselves.
In addition to these there are news bulletins, news briefs, and, in all eight languages, the weather conditions day and night in the two holy cities as well as other pilgrimage sites.
