MEDIA | What we need now is a Jordan National Public Radio, argues Ahmad Humeid.

The recent launch of private, English-language radio stations in Jordan, and the eminent launch of yet more such station is radically changing the Jordanian radio landscape. Listeners, whose only English-language FM radio option was Radio Jordan, can now turn their dial to two other stations, Play 99.6 and Mood FM. Even the Arabic language Sawa and Fann FM broadcast English songs. In one word: choice. And soon we’ll have even more of it. Observers foresee heated competition in Jordan’s radio market.

Where does this leave Radio Jordan’s English service? Should it be competing with the commercially driven private radio stations on the same terms? Can it?

The new stations are entrepreneurial ventures. Their primary focus is pop music. Although in their infancy, their presentation and production are already slick and their marketing techniques aggressive. While Mood FM is an oldies station catering for a mature generation, Play 99.6 is unashamedly hit driven. Good old Radio Jordan will not be able to outdo these ventures in the pop music game.

The solution: Radio Jordan should get out of the pop market and re-invent itself.

As a publicly funded station it should shift it’s focus away from commercial entertainment and find a new role for itself. Such a role is not hard to define. Ironically, looking back might be the way forward for the station.

I started listening to Radio Jordan in the mid 80’s. As a teenager I was interested in listening to the latest chart music (I used to hate it when 70’s and 60’s oldies were played). But Radio Jordan had much more to offer those days. For example, it used to feature quite a lot of classical music, a jazz hour (presented by a really knowledgeable jazz fan who’s name I can’t recall). There even was a country music program every week!

Besides that, there were science and technology programs and some radio comedies.

As the years passed on, Radio Jordan became more and more pop oriented. Then, more recently, it started mixing in Arabic music. Today, the station seems to be directionless.

If Radio Jordan redefines its mission as a provider of information, culture and education, and leaves the business of hit music to the private sector, it will be doing Jordan a great service.

Radio Jordan was once a window for Jordanians to western culture, including that of pop music. Now, with satellite TV, the internet and numerous English-language magazines, not to mention private radio stations, Radio Jordan should become a force that supports art and culture, introduces people to diverse genres of music (including more experimental pop music), improve the English language skills of Jordanians (the BBC’s Arabic service still play that role), expand its local new coverage and broadcasts interesting radio documentaries (on history, science, art, education, health and business).

If the commercial radio stations in Jordan emulate successful commercial radio stations in the west, it would be a good idea for Radio Jordan to model itself after the likes of the National Public Radio in the US. And if commercial radio is after the well-to-do elite of Amman, a government funded Radio Jordan should really be serving all of Jordan’s citizens, both in Amman but also in far-flung villages.

If Radio Jordan is courageous enough to swiftly and radically change itself, it would provide Jordanians with an interesting listening choice that palys a real role in the development of the country. If, on the other hand, it chooses to play the hit music game, it will only stand to loose.


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12 responses to “Reinventing Radio Jordan”

  1. Isam Bayazidi Avatar
    Isam Bayazidi

    Well, indeed we all have memories with the 96.3, and it is hard to see that we hardly open to it these days.
    When it comes to music, there is a very noticeable difference in the Sound quality between Radio Jordan English Service, and new music channels, it causes the sound from Radio Jordan to be more mono, and less rich.
    As for the content, no doubt that Radio Jordan English have/had some of the best DJs and presenters, but the DJs and presenters in th new channels are no less than them, if not sometimes better.
    Making Radio Jordan in NPR style will be a great loss, but at the same time will bring something new. In the short time of hearing NPR daily while I was in Khobar, KSA (yes, NPR is in FM there) I found it to be really educating and entertaining at a certain level. Having a channel like this in Jordan will add great value.

  2. nasimjo Avatar
    nasimjo

    Jordan FM wont be an NPR …..
    its passing thru a changing negative period (im telling U as a related person to this radio station) … its really like a Curse or a Dark Spell upon the station that we hope to vanish soon (we’re trying to play more Gothic Music helping to kick this spell away :P )

    remember that Jordan FM is still the only station that Plays Rock Music in jordan , if not the entire Middle East …
    & dont 4get that the beggest variaty of music is found on Jordan FM.

    about the transmition , there R some problems on the wave of 96.3 FM since mid october actually , originally 96.3 FMs transmition is a 4-match stereo transmition (the only in Jordan & middle east) & it’s so since 2001.. the 4-match Stereo Transmition was added also on the strong northern wave of 90.9 FM after it was a normal Stereo transmition before
    (I.E : 4-match stereo Means that 4 different sounds come out from each speaker of Ur systems 4 speakers instead of 2 different sounds in the normal stereo case)
    thus,this transmition problem caused the wave of 96.3 FM to be a normal stereo transmition recently,& with a weaker sound loudness aparently … I told U its a dark spell upon it… But we still have a very Fine & Strong FM transmition thru 90.9 reaching all the way to Cyprus by the way & serving the entire northen Jordanian Area, as well as southern Lebanon & Syria.

    about HITs , Jordan FM still gets the latest HITs from the world charts before anybody else in town , but (Again with this dark spell) those Hits R not played that much on air becoz of the DJs lack.
    there R even 2 cases held on Play FM,that they hv recorded new songs from Jordan FM’s Airwaves & playing them back on their airwaves (LPJZ’s – numb/encore & Gwen Stefani’s Latest single).

    JORDAN FM will be back …… Soon ! better than even… trust me!

  3. nasimjo Avatar
    nasimjo

    Back to you Mr Humeid:about the coverage,Jordan FM covers about 4 millions of Jordan’s Population throughout its 3 FM frequencies,just mentioned 90.9s Blasting coverage above,which is another issue that the management should take into consideration in away or another..not forgetting that it reach outside jordan not only thru FM but also thru its SW freq to western EU,making it a window for others to Jordan.

    all what I can say’s that Jordan FM WILL BE BACK SOON…& I assure YOU it can compete with those commercial stations taking the role of an entertainer & a NPR at the same time even!

    keeping my fingers crossed :P

  4. Humeid Avatar
    Humeid

    I REALLY hope that Radio Jordan comes out of its current state. For better or for worse I grew up with this station!. Wether it can be BOTH an NPR-like station AND an entertainer is doubtful. I guess that specialization wins. It’s like putting fast food and gourmet dinners in one restaurant (or a video game arcade in the lobby of a five star hotel :) . Radio Jordan is a public station and should serve the biggest portion possible of the public. I don’t mind them playing some pop/rock/etc in the future but they should define a unique role for themselves. Currently it’s just a mish mash of stuff. Check out BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Music.. There you’ll see amazing specialization.
    In any case the need a total revamp of their presentation style too (although this is not the main issue).
    Best of luck to them.

  5. Ali kayyali Avatar
    Ali kayyali

    hi i think radio jordan was the best and it still the famous, i luv it
    Ali from liverpool-mersyside, united kingdoom

  6. kareem Avatar
    kareem

    good luck!

  7. Reem Avatar
    Reem

    I think that play was the best thing that ever happened to Jordan!
    Good music, good DJs and it has its own style.

    Radio Jordan lacks innovation, and it doesn’t have an identity. It should concentrate on one thing and develop it along with its image. I mean what i don’t get is that they play Arabic, Greek, Turkish, English, French songs. They have no identity they should concentrate on one thing.

  8. firas.k Avatar
    firas.k

    hi, i don’t really listen so much to radio stations, i’d rather prefer sitting in front of my computer. couple of months age, i once turned on the radio on 96.3 FM & that changed the way i spend my time that period. i like listening to songs, but much more i like listening to discussions with callers. anyway, i hope to be much better in future.

  9. Emad Kawar Avatar
    Emad Kawar

    Dear, is there an approval to have a private FM radio station in Jordan?
    pls advise
    thank you

  10. Tommy Avatar
    Tommy

    Great radio =)
    I finded by accident from my Worldradio when i was takeing some sun ;)

    btw im from sweden if you guys wanna know that =D

  11. ULLMAR QVICK Avatar
    ULLMAR QVICK

    Dear Ahmad:
    Although your text about Radio Amman 96.3 is rather old, I found it most interesting when I “discovered” your website. I am an old world radio listener, age 74, in Sweden. Foreign cultures have always interested me and I have indeed been travelling much more with my radio than by airplane to learn about other countries.

    In the past it was possible to hear Radio Jordan in English on short waves, but this belongs to the past. Especially during the month of Ramadan there were interesting programmes, interesting also for foreign listeners, believers and non-believers. What I hear now is the kind of music I can very easily listen to by means of media much nearer me.

    The decline of broadcasting in the Arab world is a sad fact, at least when we talk about transmissions directed to the outside world. It is not easy to find radio stations in English from the Middle East with something of interest to us in this part of the world. Morocco had nice English programmes in the past, and my correspondence with the radio in Rabat gave me loads of penfriends, young students who were keen on learning more English and it was all in all a pleasant correspondence more than 20 years ago. Algeria also had Engish on short waves, they are gone as well. Libya is kind of a maverick, but Egypt is more interesting. When the audio and propagation are OK I can hear some interesting topics on 6255 kHz in the evenings. Kuwait is also doing some efforts, but their choice of frequency is not favouring reception in northern Europe during the evening. Radio Dubai used to have transmissions on Arab culture and history in the past, for English speaking listeners, but they have left the air on shortwaves…. Saudi Arabia can be heard on the internet in English, but it has become tricky to get access. Well, this about covers the general situation. There is some English also from Oman and Yemen, but it is a rare event to catch them! I have their confirmation of listening, though.

    What I mean is this: We can always find the Western points of view, our media cover all aspects of our culture here, but we have to be keen, persistent and imaginative to get in touch with Arab culture through the ether media!

    You personally are the very opposite of the “Islamist with a knife between his lips, a gun at his belt, who wants to massacre the poor Europeans and Americans!” Although most people here don’t nourish such shablons, still the fact that the majority of Arabs have quite modern attitudes towards most aspects of life is not known by a majority in my country and other European states…. I am many others here would like to see a more determined effort to show the reality of the Arab world of today, and especially the moderate, peaceful and intelligent people in your countries should be seen and heard much much better!

    This will be all, but any comments are welcome.
    Kind regards,
    Ullmar Qvick