A week after the beginning of the world cup, I'm taking a tour on the Jordanian radio airwaves to see the stations' reaction in relation with the world cup:
I'll be mentioning only the stations that show an interest in the world cup, stations not mentioned in this post are simply ones that do not give an interest.
Panorama FM: a station that covers the world cup in a professional way, and one with a level that suits the station's pan-arab orientation, and the fact that it belongs to a professional media group like MBC.
Probably one annoying thing for me as a listener is the extra (and I mean EXTRA) care for the station with the Saudi team.. they even play songs by Mohammad Abdo cheering the Saudi team :) I personally do not think the Saudi team will go that far in the championship, especially after the team's tie with the Tunisian, a tie that gave the Ukrainians a chance to get to the 2nd tournament with a victory and a tie.
But, this cheering is oriented after all to Panorama FM's biggest audience, the Saudis them self.
Mazaj FM: They have a show each evening at 6 PM with the famous Jordanian sports guy: Mohammad El-M3eidi, probably the biggest problem of the show is its timing, since by the end of the 1st tournament there will be some matches that start at 5 PM JLT... I don't think some football fan will ignore a game in order to listen to a radio show that analysis the previous day's matches!
Fann FM and Radio Rotana: I'm mentioning both of them at the same time because both stations , despite being owned by two different parties (Fann is owned by the Jordanian Armed Forces, while Rotana is owned by Rotana Production), both are operated and powered by the same media corporation, that is, Al-Kawn Audio-Visual Media. And they are dealing with the world cup in exactly the same way!
Both stations have a reporter in an Ammani Cafe along the duration of the championship, Fann FM have someone in cafe Khattar, and Rotana have someone in Zee Diner – Abdoun.
Both stations have that reporter spinning between the public before each match asking them questions and giving away prices, but during the match those stations' regular non-stop music is being aired, with interruptions each and every while where the transmission moves to the reporter on location, where he would say what happened with the game and what is he seeing on that big display in front of him.
I personally didnt like this way, and more over, i didnt like Fann FM's guy at cafe Khattar, he is BORING!
Play FM: I still do not know why on earth they keep claiming in that jingle that they are “Jordan's Official World Cup Station”!!!!!or is it just to cope with “Jordan's Official Chart Show” which i don't know how accurately official is it, and “Jordan's Official Request Show” which i really cannot figure it out from usual non-stop music sessions. Or even “Jordan's way to wake up in the morning” .... I hope Mohammad Al-Wakeel do not know about this :)
I mean, even with Radio Jordan FM i can get more useful information about the world cup, they at least give up to date information about the world cup matches in their news bulletins at the top of the hour.
I respect though Play's initiative in issuing the would cup schedule, which i didnt get up to the moment due to fact that is available in “Fancy Places” only. And I didnt have the chance to pass by their place to get one.
Radio Amman FM: A station that airs the World Cup matches live from ART Sports, Amman FM have also a guess-the-score show before every match, a lossy one if you would ask for my opinion, since random radio announcers take over the show, and some that know nothing about football and sports, making it silly to listen and participate at, and sooooo unprofessional.
The analysis studio after, before, and during the matches (in the break) are some how gloomy, either talking about the radio announcers randomizing along it as well or some of the people the invite, the other day one of the people they invited was proving that the USA has more experience in football than the Czech Republic! The radio announcer was bringing the invited person's attention that Czech was famous before 1990 as well while they were united in Czechoslovakia, but the invited person got mad and insisted that there is a difference between Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic !!!!!!!!!!! DUH!
And not to forget captain Esa Al-Turk's analysis (by the way, I mentioned that they bring Esa Al-Turk more than anybody else), which is 100% Jordanian so that the other day after the match between the Ecuador and Poland in which the Ecuador won 2-0 he said:
بولندا كانت اليوم زي الرايح عالحج و الناس راجعه منه
“Poland was today like going to Hajj while people are on their way back from it” - a Jordanian say.
Hehe, thank got JTV are not broadcasting the world cup games :P
Despite all this, Amman FM still have probably the highest audience as far as the world cup coverage is concerned, most probably cause the have promoted a lot regarding their World cup coverage, plus their transmission that covers over 80% of Jordan's population throughout their 5 working frequencies and Irbid FM. Including me :)
Radio Amman NET: Another station the transmits the matches live from ART Sports, but with a difference!
All the other accessories, including the guess-the-score game and the analysis studio are Neat and Professional.
Very, if you'd ask for my opinion!
The guess-the-score show is way to cool and professional, the radio announcer is a super cool guy, and one that knows how to lead a show full of charisma and funkiness, absolutely suitable for the World Cup spirit.
The Analysis studio is lead by a guy from the industry it self, Mohammad Gadree Hassan, who was the Sports reporter and announcers in MBC FM Amman back in the good old days when radio MBC FM was broadcasting from London and Has a local radio station in Amman.
Captain Mohammad Gadree knows how to lead a sports analysis show, and choose suitable people for it. And is also able to make his own analysis in a very professional manner, plus, he gets on the air during the game when some gets a goal, covering the ART's commentator, which adds more “Localization” to the transmission, despite its some how annoying if you would ask me for my opinion.
Despite the fact that Radio Amman Net imitated Amman FM in the full transmission thingy, and that they got up some how late with it. But they made it up with quite a good campaign of ads in the news papers, and they did it their way, turning it into an innovation rather than an imitation.
I like creativity, good job you Amman Net guys ;)
Unfortunately i do not get Radio Amman Net in jerash at all, since they have their transmission antenna in Wadi Saqra, and even the building next to them is taller than their transmission antenna, but i surely turn the dial to 92.4 when ever i'm in the greater Amman area and wanna catch up with the world cup from the car.
Technorati tags: radio, Amman, FM,Net,92.4,99.0,World,cup,coverage
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