United States Agency for Global Media

Sawa brings more news and information to the eastern Mediterranean

June 24, 2019

Springfield, VA — On June 30, Sawa, the Arabic-language radio network, will relaunch its stream targeting the Eastern Mediterranean region. The new Sawa will increase the amount of news and discussion programs to more than 17 hours each day. Daily and weekly programs will encourage listeners to join the dialogue and express their opinions through call-in programs and social media. The change comes as part of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) ongoing transformation to its radio, television and digital platforms.

“The new Eastern Mediterranean stream of Sawa will mirror the successful Sawa Iraq stream. It will target Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories with localized content that is relevant to their daily lives,” stated MBN President Amb. Alberto Fernandez. MBN manages and oversees Sawa. “This will provide audiences critical, unbiased news and information that directly affects them. This new stream is also encouraging audiences to speak out and share their thoughts about what is needed for the countries and cities they call home. Sawa has strong name recognition in the region and these changes will improve the content of Sawa and provide listeners with information they can use.”

The  programs that can be heard on the new Sawa stream will include:

• Jawlat Assabah-A three-hour daily morning show focusing on the biggest stories that are expected for that day from the Levant, the region and around the world.
• Sawa Alhawa—A daily two-hour call-in program that will address the most important issues that affect people’s lives, encouraging them to share their opinions on various topics.
• Boukra Afdal—A daily two-hour call-in program that targets the region’s youth and discusses their hopes, aspirations and future.
• Sawa Alleyla-A three-hour daily program that will host long-form conversations with politicians, community and civic leaders, artists and newsmakers. They will discuss the news of the day in the Levant and invite callers to join the discussion.

Sawa can be heard on MW and FM transmitters in Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories, with several transmitters broadcasting into Syria and to the Arabic-speaking population of Israel. Radio Sawa also broadcasts on a network of FM transmitters in Iraq for its Iraq stream.

Sawa is an Arabic-language radio network. It is operated by the non-profit corporation “The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.” (MBN). MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency.  The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.