45 years on air

Radio Bahrain will be turning 45 in a couple of months and it’s only getting better with age as the kingdom’s first English language station boasts a new look and vibe with the aim of ‘inspiring joyful connections through music with more personality’.

The station, operated and managed by Radio Bahrain Company, has some friendly new faces on deck along with radio seniors such as its general manager and programme director, Imran Al Aradi, who has 20 years’ experience in the entertainment field. He aims to elevate shows as well as expand reach to listeners.

“We are excited about this,” said the 40-year-old who started his 16-year musical journey as a part-time host, then by hosting the breakfast show for more than three years, followed by heading Radio Bahrain in 2017. “Radio Bahrain started broadcasting in 1977 and has been the only English language radio station here ever since. It has a deep-rooted history. The same people listening to 96.5FM on their way to school are now listening to the station while dropping their children off before heading to work.”

He has seen the changes over the years and his plan is to maintain Radio Bahrain’s reputation as a trustworthy source of information for both local and regional listeners as well as provide top quality entertainment programmes.

“The station has been through several phases, and the most recent milestone is that it was acquired by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company in May 2019. Radio Bahrain is now one of Mumtalakat’s subsidiaries and a fully-fledged commercialised radio station,” said Imran, also a popular stand-up comedian in the region.

“Change is important for progress, however I would label the change we’re going through as an ‘adaptation’, simply because technology has come a long way and audiences are experiencing and utilising different means and channels for their information, music and entertainment programmes.

“We are not only competing with other radio stations. We are also competing with digital platforms that provide content on demand at the tip of your fingers. The long-term plan is to expand our reach, further elevate our programming and offer a complete digital platform for our listeners locally and regionally through our upcoming mobile application. We are strengthening our presence on all fronts – on-air, online and on the ground.”

Radio Bahrain 96.5 aims to do that by launching additional live shows as well as introducing professional syndicated programmes with new presenters such as Bahraini Noor Nooruddin. She describes her sound as ‘a good mood with a little bit of funk’ and aims to keep people entertained with fun music, pop culture and day-to-day interests.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a passion for music curation and discovery and I’m also someone who loves to hear herself speak, apparently,” said Noor, 31, who is the youngest presenter currently on air. “Radio always felt like a field I could fall in love with. All I want to do is make a listener’s day a little bit brighter; whether they need someone to add to their good mood or whether they need a pick-me-up on a day that could have gone better.”

Meanwhile, commercial director Sarva Velamuri, who joined the station as a newsreader in 1997 and became full-time in 2020 as head of sales, says ‘listeners will soon be able to hear, feel and see the changes’.

“I always felt a special connection to radio and its ability to connect people everywhere,” said the 50-year-old who worked in radio in the 80s in India. “Radio Bahrain was my companion when I first came to Bahrain in 1990. During the Gulf War, I was alone here and 96.5 kept me company. It connected with people and it holds true even today!”

Radio Bahrain’s new slogan is ‘Alive with Music’ and over the years has reached close to 6.5 million listeners in the region.

For more details, follow @radio.bh on Instagram.