When people loved to be called ‘radio fanatics'

JEDDAH. KAZINFORM - Before the advent of the Internet, radio and local television channels were the only source of information and entertainment across the world. Saudis were no exception to this, though the Kingdom was a late starter in the Gulf in introducing radio broadcasting in 1960.
None
None

Walking down the memory lane on such issues can throw up interesting anecdotes which the present generation may find amusing. And this is what a local newspaper has attempted by talking to people of "the radio era," and of their obsession with radio programs, say 25 years ago. At that time, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Sultan did not mind being called a "radio fanatic." He still has in his possession a cassette that contains his participation in several radio programs. He makes regular copies of the cassette so as not to lose it. "It wasn't easy to contact the radio station those days. Other "radio fanatics" like me used to wait for long periods of time in front of the post office premises to hand over our request for participation, paying a postage fee of SR100, a big amount at that time," he said. Stating that he and his friends were very keen and fond of listening to the radio, Al-Sultan said: "Television had not arrived then, in the sense that it was not available as freely as it is now. Only a few television channels such as the two official Saudi channels, Qatar channel, the English and Arabic broadcast of Bahrain channels and Aramco 33. The transmission was at the mercy of the weather, Kazinform cites the Arab News. "But radio broadcasting was widespread and available. We could even tune in to London radio stations. Everybody was completely attached to the radio programs, so much so that they would take their radio sets everywhere they went." Speaking about one of the most popular radio programs of those days, he said: "There was a program on Bahrain radio called ‘Listener's Choice' presented by Aisha Abdulatif. It had widespread followers. "Families used to gather at 1 p.m. to listen to the program, and when a name of one of those present found a mention, everyone would shout, clap and congratulate him. When he would walk around the village or street, they would tell him they heard his name on the radio. It was a privilege those days. "Life was so simple then, and people found happiness in the simplest of things." Another citizen, Abdur Rahman Khazem Al-Owais, recalled the time when he first got a radio set from his grandmother on her return from Haj. "It was a moment of joy and happiness for me like nothing else. It was a tiny little Sanyo." He remembers moving from one radio channel to another looking forward to hear his request mentioned. "I was a permanent friend of a number of radio stations. Radio was one way of getting educated and cultured." But change in radio broadcasting in the Kingdom came along once MBC FM started a new era of media broadcasting, where youth became the centerpiece. Another major change occurred about 10 years ago when a youth radio station, "U FM" was launched. "It was by the youth, for the youth." Ammar Hassan Hashim, another citizen, said: "Youth radio channels attracted wide audiences among the youth with sports programs, the main attraction for them." The traditional radio set is not the same anymore. Satellite broadcast has taken over radio transmission, along with digital broadcast where one finds numerous number of radio stations on the Internet. Even this is now becoming obsolete with newer technologies and applications which facilitate receiving radio broadcasts on smartphones and tablets. But there are some, like Hatem Muhammad Al-Shawaf, who believe that there are people, particularly housewives, who are still loyal to the traditional style of radio broadcast.

Currently reading