“The Ministry of Culture and Information has decided to launch a second sports channel on Wednesday as an expression of happiness for the king’s return after gaining a full recovery,” said Prince Turki bin Sultan, assistant minister of culture and information and supervisor of the Saudi sports channel.
He said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja instructed the channel’s launch as part of the ministry’s support for youth and sports. “It also comes after the successful performance of the first sports channel,” the prince said and commended the government’s support for the media.
Prince Turki said the new channel would contribute to promoting a culture of fair competition and sportsmanship among the Saudi youth.
It will also promote different sports and games such as equestrian, athletics, weight lifting, wrestling, handball, basketball and volleyball, he explained.
The Kingdom earlier launched four new TV channels for the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah, economy and culture.
“The two channels for the Qur’an and Sunnah are a gift from King Abdullah to the Islamic world,” the minister said while launching them.
The economic channel highlights Saudi Arabia’s leading position in global economies, being the largest oil producer and exporter. “The new channel for culture offers a venue for academics and intellectuals to air their views on various issues,” he said.
The Kingdom has licensed five FM radio stations. According to one study, close to 82 percent of Saudis listen to the FM radio frequency — 54 percent of them on a daily basis. FM radio listening is mostly done while driving, with over 57 percent listening to the radio in their cars. Four percent listen to FM radio stations at work.
Meanwhile, Khoja said a new bylaw for electronic publishing has been issued considering the viewpoints of academics, writers, media persons and other experts. “We have changed 14 articles of the 20-article bylaw,” the minister said while thanking those who have made good and constructive proposals.
