Two FM stations join Radio Sawa

Two FM radio stations in the UAE have joined the Middle East Radio Network's (MERN) Radio Sawa, broadcasting international and regional news around the clock.

The new stations are part of the radio network that debuted in March when Radio Sawa went on air in Amman, Jordan on FM 98.1 and Kuwait on FM 95.7.

In Dubai the Arabic-language station can be heard on FM 90.5 and in Abu Dhabi, on FM 98.1, said the American embassy.

Radio Sawa's news programmes titled The World Now are broadcast twice, an hour each, providing up-to-the-minute information about fast-moving events in the Middle East and around the world.

Besides news and entertainment, the station has launched a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA), the first of which targets driving under the influence of alcohol.

"Accurate, objective news and information are the lifeblood of Radio Sawa," said Norman J. Pattiz, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which spearheaded the creation of the US government funded network.

"We are committed to fighting misinformation and in telling the truth about what is happening in the Middle East and the world," he added.

The radio network is expected to be fully operational by late summer. The programmes would contain a full mix of news, analysis, interviews, opinion pieces, round-tables, sports, weather, music and features on a variety of political and social issues.