Saudi TV and Radio to split from press agency

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The Saudi Television and Radio and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) are to separate into two organisations, the Kingdom's Council of Ministers has decreed.

According to iina.me, the two corporations will be empowered to take independent decisions and will operate with distinct budgets, Saudi Arabia's Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja told Arab News.

"The new structure will enable Saudi TV and Radio and SPA to work efficiently without bureaucratic hurdles. The new corporations would have the power to appoint reporters and cope with new developments in order to provide the best possible services to the public and their clients," the Minister is quoted as saying.

Saudi Television and Radio will carry the Kingdom's message to all corners of the Gulf country and to other parts of the world, making use of modern technology, the minister added, while the SPA will cover events and issues at national, regional and international levels and help strengthen the journalism in the country.

The rules and regulations for the two new entities will reportedly be completed within six months.