Bahrain to auction rights for English FM Channel 103MHz

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

For those interested in running an FM radio channel in the Kingdom of Bahrain, this is their chance!

The Ministry of Information Affairs is in search of an operator to run an English entertainment radio channel 24/7 on the FM radio frequency of 103 MHz. The successful bidder will receive a contract to run the channel for five years.

To apply, download tender documents from the website www.tenderboard.gov.bh and submit bids along with a BD4,000 bond before the closing date of May 24, 2023. The eligibility criteria require bidders to have at least three years of experience operating and managing a radio channel and radio studio operation.

The initial bond can be a certified cheque, bank guarantee, insurance policy, or cash. The tender is available for purchase for BD100. It’s worth noting that Bahrain currently has 15 radio stations operating in frequencies between 892 and 106.3, including BBC World Service on 101.0FM and Radio Bahrain on 96.5FM, both in English.

The English-language radio service started broadcasting four hours daily from a studio in Isa Town in 1977. The station was later relocated to a building in Adliya in 1982, with on-air time extended to 18 hours a day.

A second station, Radio 2, began broadcasting daily for six hours. By 1989, a new studio came up in the Ministry of Information building, and the following year, the station commenced 24-hour programming.

In 2007, Radio Bahrain changed its frequency from 101.0FM to 99.5FM. In 2010, Bahrain formed the Information Affairs Authority, which, among other functions, governs the Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation.”