Tunisia: new private radio station soon to be launched

TUNISIAONLINENEWS- A convention authorizing the establishment and broadcasting of a generalist private radio "Shems FM," was signed, on Tuesday, at the premises of the Communication Ministry, between the Communication Minister, Mr. Oussama Romdhani and the promoter of Shems FM, Mr. Fethi Bhouri.

The new radio which will start broadcasting around the clock as of mid -September, will first cover the greater Tunis area, the region of  Bizerta, the Cap Bon,  Sousse and Sfax, before boosting its signal to cover most of Tunisia's regions. It is Tunisia's 4 th private radio station, following the launch in recent years of Mosaic FM, Jawhara FM, and  Zeitouna.

Mr. Oussama Romdhani said that the project is in line with Tunisia's promotion of private initiative in the audiovisual sector, in materialization of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's decision in 2003 to open up the sector to private initiative.

It also comes in materialization of the item of the 2009-2014 presidential program relative to enriching the national media landscape so that it reflects the levels of progress and development reached by the country. Thanks to the presidential interest  in the sector and after the signing of this convention, Tunisia has now thirteen public and private radio stations, the minister said.

He also underlined that the contribution of the private sector to the communication network enhances pluralism and enriches the information sector in the country, in such a manner as to meet the ambitions and aspirations of Tunisians; it also testifies to the progress achieved by Tunisia over the past two decades in the political, economic, social and cultural fields, he added.

For his part, Mr. Fethi Bhouri, expressed his gratitude to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who has constantly expanded the scope of private so that it contributes in total freedom and responsibility to enriching the national media landscape.

Source: Tunisia: new private radio station soon to be launched http://bit.ly/c4Yuc4

(Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)