Morocco gets four new radio stations

Radio listeners in Morocco will be able to enjoy four new multi-regional radio stations following a decision issued Monday by the Higher Council of Audio-visual Communication (CSCA: Conseil Supérieur de la Communication Audiovisuelle).

The council approved four thematic radio stations following an invitation to tender. The winners of the licences are:

Radio MARS, a sports radio station (eight audience areas)
Radio Medina FM, a radio station on rural areas (eight audience areas)
Radio LUXE, a radio station on Moroccan handicraft (six audience areas).
Radio Med, a radio station on mediation and conflict resolution (six audience areas).

The Council also decided to grant private radio operators new frequencies to extend their broadcasting to new audience areas.

Concerning TV licences, CSCA decided not to issue any TV licence waiting for a better visibility, as it considers that the approval of any new national television project presents “a significant risk of imbalance for the sector that could affect the balance of current public and private broadcasting operators in the short-term and their sustainability in the medium term.”

Morocco has been progressively freeing up its airwaves, passing a law to this effect in 2004, after which 10 private radio stations were launched.

Moroccan television is set to be further diversified later in 2009, when the country's first Berber channel is set to be launched.

For a more comprehensive list, see The View from Fez: Radio Stations in Morocco


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news