JEDDAH: The Ministry of Culture and Information will announce the winner of the first of five new FM radio licenses on Jan. 30, said Riyadh Kamal Najm, assistant undersecretary for engineering affairs and supervisor of audiovisual media.
He said the winners of the remaining four licenses would be announced every two weeks after receiving financial offers from qualified companies. The last date for presenting offers for the first license is Jan. 27.
“We’ll continue accepting offers for the remaining licenses until March 22, which is the date for presenting offers for the fifth license,” Najm said. “Those who failed to win the first one can apply for others.”
Najm said applicants would be allowed to have only one license, adding that qualified companies must produce a letter from a Saudi bank to prove their financial solvency. All competing companies must present this letter on or before Jan. 16.
The last date to present offers for the second license is Feb. 10, he said, adding that the winner of the second would be announced on Feb. 13. The dates for presenting offers and declaring winners for the remaining licenses are: Feb. 24 and 27 for the third license, March 8 and 11 for the fourth and March 22 and 25 for the fifth.
The ministry has already short-listed 15 companies for five licenses to operate the stations. The short-listed companies and alliances include the Saudi Specialized Publishing Company, an affiliate of the Saudi Research & Marketing Group, Rotana Audio Visual Co., owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, and Arab Radio and Television Network, run by Saleh Kamil.
Research and analysis from the Arab Advisers Group reveals that close to 82 percent of Saudis listen to the FM radio — 54 percent of them on a daily basis.
FM radio listening is mostly done while driving cars with over 57 percent listening to the radio in their cars. Four percent listen to FM radio stations at work.
