JEDDAH: Alf Alf alliance is the winner of the first private FM radio license in the Kingdom, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja announced Saturday. Alf Alf got the license after offering SR75 million.
Khoja said the ministry would issue four more licenses in the coming eight weeks and urged other companies to compete for them. Alf Alf has to cover 30 areas and 15 of them are mandatory, an official statement said.
Other 10 short-listed companies to provide FM service included the Saudi Specialized Publishing Company, Rotana Audio Visual Co., owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, and Arab Radio and Television Network, run by businessman Saleh Kamil.
“The short-listed companies and other qualified companies can make their bids to win one of the remaining four licenses,” Khoja said, adding that the winner would be the one which makes the highest offer.
Khoja said the ministry had started issuing licenses to satellite channels. “Two days ago we licensed a satellite channel station,” he said. “From now on, no Saudi channel can appear without the license of the Ministry of Culture and Information,” he added.
