Middle East’s first radio station for children launches in UAE
Published: MEA
UAE: Media Group International (MGI) has completed work on PearlFM, the Middle East’s first radio station dedicated to broadcasting content for children under 12 years old. Operated by the Children's Media Network (CMN), the Dubai-based station reportedly took three weeks to complete with equipment from manufacturers such as Clyde Broadcast, Sonifex, Shure and beyerdynamic.
Described by MGI managing director John Aslett as ‘an incredibly exciting project to be involved with because we were helping CMN make history’, the project comprised the design and installation of two radio studios and a back-up studio that doubles up as a production facility when not on air. Server rooms were also installed to store content for up to 60 days.
CMN aims to provide multimedia platforms related to children as well as a support network for UAE-based parents and assistance for a number of local and international family events. The company was first conceived two decades ago when founding partner Jeff Price worked with Great Ormond Street Hospital Radio in the UK. Mr Price later began working with Nick Watson, who champions children’s health awareness campaigns in the UAE.
The October 2014 launch of PearlFM, which broadcasts in both English and Arabic, represents a significant milestone for the organisation. ‘There has never been a dedicated children's radio station in the Middle East and we are very proud to have played a key role in making this happen,’ added Mr Aslett. The station offers interactive radio programmes combining music and discussion while children will also be given the opportunity to present their own shows.
‘Charged with launching a radio station, we recognised that we needed specialist help to install the technical infrastructure,’ explained Mr Price. ‘We chose MGI for this project because the company has a reputation for delivering world-class broadcast solutions. As part of our remit is to allow children to present some of our programmes, we needed tough, durable equipment that is also easy to operate. MGI gave us excellent advice and helped us choose equipment that was ideally suited to our needs. They also worked exceptionally fast to complete the radio station and gave us great service and support throughout.’
Clyde Broadcast Synergy Master Control systems sit at the heart of the new studios, complimented by RCS play out systems, microphones from Clyde Broadcast, Shure and Beyerdynamic, Sonifex delay units and a range of production and control software.
CMN is also planning to launch a sister station, LuluFM, broadcasting to children in Arabic, while its long-term goal is to expand across the Middle East and Asia with both radio, online and television projects.