The Saudi Arabian English language radio broadcasts are undergoing a change and for those who regularly or occasionally tune in, the change has been noticeable and a definite improvement. The English language section at Saudi radio in Jeddah was established in the 60s. Besides the men, among the first Saudi female voices heard were those of Jamila Al-Shaer and Shuaa Al-Rashid who made an indelible impression on the listeners. Since, the female voices have been the most prominent on the English language airwaves.
“I was the first Saudi to be officially employed among the women in the section and then Samar Fatani,” said Hanan Awad, the head of the English section who joined in 1976. Currently, there are four women officially employed at the section and two part-time, an all-female team, except for a few male contributors.
When broadcast direct from Jeddah, there were a large variety of religious and cultural programs directed at English speakers here and in other countries as far away as Africa, Europe and the Far East. One of the most famous and popular programs in those days was the Arabic Songs program that dealt with the top Arabic songs and singers of the time. Some fifteen years ago, broadcasting of the English program was transferred to Riyadh as a transitional period but it has continued to broadcast from there. Another factor that had its impact upon the English sector was that the programming became local rather than directed, affecting and completely changing the contents and target audience. “We are still the production office producing almost half the programs which include educational, entertainment and informative programs not to mention the special programs in Ramadan, Haj and on National Day,” said Awad to Arab News.
The Jeddah team is in the process of preparing the one-year layout and they have many surprises based on current tryout successes. “We meet every week or two to study new suggestions and ideas for programs and ways of presentation,” said Awad. The team would like to see more support and funding. “We rely on our own resources and references,” said Soha Riri, another full-time female broadcaster at the English section. “We don’t have a music library, or access to the Internet and we’re restricted in the type of songs we can broadcast,” she said.
Furthermore, the broadcasting signal is very weak, even within a few kilometers from the tower. “We wish that the English section would receive more attention and be equal to the other sectors because it’s important to have our voice heard by expatriates here and abroad to combat the negative portrayals of Saudi Arabia, Islam and our culture,” said Samar Fatani.
Awad said that they want to regain the section as a direct program and to be on short wave so they can be heard all over the world and they have been promised that this would be considered. “We also want our own frequency. We currently broadcast on 96.2 which also broadcasts programs in fourteen other languages and this turns people off when they try to tune in and hear different languages,” said Riri. They hope to have a free hand in the programs and fewer restrictions. Another problem they face is the shortage of studios and the limited hours for English programs. “There is no interaction between us and the listeners. We need stronger transmission, we want our own frequency to have continued programs, we need correspondents, and we need more studios. Basically we need funding,” said Riri. The point they want to get across is that the shortcomings are not administrative. “We are accused of being inactive, unqualified and not progressive. We want a change in policy and more funding to be able to do more and better things which we are very qualified to do. We have submitted many reports and requests but so far…” said Awad.
Recently, they were given a green light to change their programs. “We want to introduce more live programs, use more music and a style of presentation that is more up-to-date and modern to attract listeners,” said Fatani who presents the Open Hour program, the only live show airing every Sunday and Tuesday from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The show began five years ago and it presents local analysis of current events and viewpoints; it invites officials and experts to speak on a variety of issues, and it has been very well received. This is the kind of programs they would like to do rather than the taped segments they currently produce.
A new program that is also receiving wide approval is the Top 10 English songs in the Arabic world presented by Hala Riri. It features a fun, simple and hip style of presentation which is the favored trend now among young listeners.
Other light but informative programs include Panorama by Soha Riri covering family issues and the Children’s Corner by Hala Riri. Soha also presents the Hearty Laugh program on funny incidents from around the world. She and her sister Hala have a new idea for a joint live show in which they will speak in an unscripted and informal way about issues while taking calls from listeners on their views on the issues.
Other programs by the Jeddah team include Interplay of Culture, Islam and Current Challenges, On the Road to Success about the journey of successful Saudi women, Fruits of the Pen, and Health Monitor. Some of their interactive programs are Guests of the Kingdom talking to people at the airport lounge, Community Corner interviewing expatriates and the Radio Satellite which is a conference program between someone from Saudi Arabia and another from an Arab country talking about current issues.