Kuching, 20 February (Bernama) — The Ministry of Information will set up a 24-hour radio news channel in Bahasa Malaysia and English, based on the “reality” concept, which will be on air within the next three months. The minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said for a start, the station which would use the 93.9 [MHz] frequency (previously Radio Klasik), would be transmitted around the Klang Valley.
“In line with the objective of raising the service standard of the radio channel owned by the Ministry of Information, we need a station which is more focused on news,” he told a media conference here Tuesday. Zainuddin said an agency under the ministry would be entrusted with preparing the format for the radio network before hitting the airwaves. To boost the station, professional groups in the local radio broadcasting industry were encouraged to contribute in terms of resources and expertise especially for the posts of announcers and reporters.
Meanwhile, Zainuddin said under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), the ministry had asked the Sarawak state government to set up another Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) station in Bintulu. He said a piece of land had been earmarked for the purpose of building the station in Bintulu and the matter would be discussed with the authorities in Sarawak. “Bintulu is an important location in Sarawak and to ensure wider coverage, we need an RTM station in Bintulu in the near term,” he said.
To date, RTM has four stations for television and radio in Sarawak, that is Sri Aman, Sibu, Miri and Limbang in addition to a broadcasting centre in Kuching, and two stations for radio in Sarikei and Kapit.
(Source: Bernama website, Kuala Lumpur, in English 20 Feb 07 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
“In line with the objective of raising the service standard of the radio channel owned by the Ministry of Information, we need a station which is more focused on news,” he told a media conference here Tuesday. Zainuddin said an agency under the ministry would be entrusted with preparing the format for the radio network before hitting the airwaves. To boost the station, professional groups in the local radio broadcasting industry were encouraged to contribute in terms of resources and expertise especially for the posts of announcers and reporters.
Meanwhile, Zainuddin said under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), the ministry had asked the Sarawak state government to set up another Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) station in Bintulu. He said a piece of land had been earmarked for the purpose of building the station in Bintulu and the matter would be discussed with the authorities in Sarawak. “Bintulu is an important location in Sarawak and to ensure wider coverage, we need an RTM station in Bintulu in the near term,” he said.
To date, RTM has four stations for television and radio in Sarawak, that is Sri Aman, Sibu, Miri and Limbang in addition to a broadcasting centre in Kuching, and two stations for radio in Sarikei and Kapit.
(Source: Bernama website, Kuala Lumpur, in English 20 Feb 07 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
