Huna Al - Kuwait or Here’s Kuwait. These words were heard for the first time when at 7:00 am on May 12, 1951, Radio Kuwait started its first transmission, ushering in a new era in the history of Kuwait. Radio Kuwait started its first transmission using a 0.5 KW transmitter in one of the rooms in Naif palace. It later started broadcasting on short and medium wave lengths from the current Ministry of Information building. In 1960, a year before independence, four more transmitters were added.

The first feminine voice was also heard for the first time this year. Efforts continued to boost the station’s transmission and in 1990, before the Iraqi invasion, the station’s transmission capacity was 500 kilowatt and its reach included most of Europe and North America.

During the Iraqi occupation, Radio Kuwait continued to broadcast from Saudi Arabia. After liberation, Kuwait was determined to rebuild what it had lost. Radio Kuwait restarted transmissions from Kuwait on March 3, 1991 and two days later the medium wave channels were operational. By the end of 1991, all channels had started operating again.

Today, Radio Kuwait, under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, uses state-of-the-art broadcasting technology and its programmes reach out to a much wider audience inside and outside Kuwait. Its programmes in Arabic and English are broadcast on the FM, MW and SW frequencies and cover a wide range of subjects such as Arabic music (folk and modern), news, discussions, and current and social affairs.

Kuwait’s English language radio stations broadcast a mix of current hit music and popular oldest in rock, contemporary and other styles. They also broadcast regular local and foreign news updates and financial and sports reports. Operating 24 hours a day from one of the most sophisticated studios in the world, local DJs and presenters are very popular on both live and pre-recorded shows.

Today, with more niche channels serving 24 hours a day, it has become possible to cater to much larger audiences. Radio Kuwait today has number of channels that broadcast various programmes covering all spheres of life such as media information, politics, society, literature, sports, the arts, news, songs and Quranic readings around the clock. Some programmes are also broadcast in English, Persian, Filipino and Urdu. While some programmes are broadcast 24 hrs a day, others are aired on time sharing/time slot basis.

There are three radio transmission stations:
1. Kabd: Has 20 transmission sets which range between medium wave and short wave.
2. Al-Makawa: Has two transmission sets and well as an emergency set
3. Al-Jeewan: Transmits FM programmes in Arabic and English.

For exact details and schedules of the programmes, tune into the Radio Kuwait or justvisit the Radio Kuwait website www.moinfo.gov.kw