JEDDAH: The Ministry of Culture and Information has formed a high committee to develop the Saudi Broadcasting Corp.’s (SBC) television channels and radio stations.

Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, minister of culture and information, is heading this development as part of an integrated plan under Vision 2030 to upgrade all Saudi broadcast facilities.

“The Supreme Committee aims to prepare an integrated development plan in cooperation with local and international companies in the field of media and television,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“The committee will work to improve content, develop media facilities, train and qualify cadres, and attract Saudi talent in the media field.”

The announcement was welcomed by Saudi television anchor Khaled Alolaiwi. “Developing Saudi media is important, especially with new challenges in the international arena,” he said.

“We have a lot to tell the world as Saudis. The Kingdom is the cradle of Islam, the birthplace of Arabism and a member of the G-20, so it’s incumbent on us to represent Saudi Arabia in the best way. There’s huge room to improve Saudi media and make it a voice to be heard.”

In the Kingdom, the two main English-language broadcasters are Saudi TV2 and Saudia Radio. According to current and former employees and listeners, they leave a lot to be desired.

“It’s about time for an upgrade,” said Mohammed Rashid, 41, a Saudi information technology assistant who lives in Jeddah.

“The quality of television programs is really bad. All of the programs are old and too family-oriented to be entertaining or even informative. I think the only people who watch or listen to the Saudi channels are people who don’t have a satellite dish or who are still using a coat hanger as an aerial to catch the signal.”

Another common complaint within the SBC is that salaries are low, with a moratorium in place for years that prohibits the hiring of new talent.

With a starting salary of SR2,000 ($533) per month for freelancers at Saudia Radio to read the news on air, and an additional SR2,000 per program, the pay is not too bad, especially if a broadcaster has two or three programs.

But it does not come regularly, resulting in many talented broadcasters leaving their programs and then resigning.

While this reporter was at Saudia Radio, one month’s salary would be paid, then nothing for up to four months, then one or two months’ salary would be paid, killing motivation and creativity. Arab News reached out to the head of Saudia Radio for comment but he declined.



— With additional reporting by Nada Hameed