MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION IYAD AMEEN MADANI HAS SAID SAUDI ARABIA STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME ITS GROUND DIGITAL TRANSMISSION SERVICES FOR THE CHANNELS OF THE SAUDI TELEVISION AND THE PROGRAMS OF THE SAUDI BROADCASTING STATION. IN A STATEMENT TO SPA, HE NOTED THAT THE DIGITAL TELEVISION AND BROADCASTING TRANSMISSION LAUNCHED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO NOW COVERS CITIES OF MAKKAH, MADINAH, RIYADH, JEDDAH, DAMMAM, KHOBAR, BUREIDA, ABHA, HAIL, JUBAIL AND HOFUF. HE DISCLOSED THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY TO COVER OTHER REGIONS OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IN LINE WITH A PREPARED PLAN. 'IT IS EXPECTED THAT BY THE ADVENT OF THE LUNAR MONTH OF MUHARRAM, FOUR MONTHS LATER, MORE THAN 23 MAJOR CITIES OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE CAPABLE OF RECEIVING THIS TRANSMISSION', HE SAID. MADANI POINTED OUT THAT THE DIGITAL TRANSMISSION MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO MONITOR THE FIRST CHANNEL, AL-AKHBARIYA, SPORTS CHANNEL AND THE SECOND CHANNEL CLEARLY WITHOUT A DISH OR NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO SATELLITE NETWORKS. HE NOTED THAT THE NEW SERVICE WILL JUST BE IN NEED OF A SMALL DEVICE WHICH IS AVAILABLE AT THE SAUDI MARKET AT A REASONABLE PRICE. MADANI SAID THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE ARAB WORLD, THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, AND IT COMES AMONG A FEW COUNTRIES IN ASIA AND SOUTH AMERICA WHICH HAVE STARTED THE DIGITAL TELEVISION AND BROADCASTING TRANSMISSION. HE ADDED THAT THE KINGDOM IS THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHICH USES ARABIC IN THIS SERVICE. MADANI SAID THE SERVICE INCLUDES IN THIS STAGE A CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FOR THE SERVICE OF THE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. THE INFORMATION OF THE SERVICE IS PERTAINING TO DIFFERENT SECTORS LIKE THE SERVICES OF AVIATION TO AND FROM THE KINGDOM, THE SECTOR OF BUSINESS INCLUDING REPORTS ON THE SAUDI ECONOMY, STOCK MARKET, RATES OF CURRENCIES, HEALTH SERVICES, TENDERS, MARKETING REAL ESTATE, ETC. MADANI SAID THE INFORMATION OF THE SERVICE IS UPDATED AROUND THE CLOCK THROUGH THE MOST SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING TECHNOLOGY.
