Radio Sawt Al-Madina, Dynamism on air!

It was amazing dealing with Radio Sawt Al-Madina 88.7 FM in last friday's "Summer's Telematch" that the Jordanian Romanian Forum for Culture has organized.

Apart from the fact that Radio Sawt Al-Madina had, in my own opinion, dynamically grown and varied to turn into what i would call: “The European Model of Pop culture radio stations”, with very interesting hybridism of news bulletins, hit music (mainly arabic, but some western in some shows as well), and a big variety of interactive shows, youth oriented shows, socio-political talk shows, and specialized shows ... all at one place. But i had a very interesting experience dealing with them as i was looking for a media & entertainment sponsor for the “Summer's telematch”. Which was after i was actually oriented towards having a Western Hit music station to be a sponsor, based on the fact that Western Hit music stations are way much more active when it comes to such acts and events in the jordanian radio market, and noticeable more likable to have live off-studio shows than arabic radio stations in Jordan, which are – in general – either too traditional and public service-like radios, or too non-stop music oriented, and usually not willing to invest in their listeners entertainment to gain further listener-ship and ratings.

But, fortunately, I was turned down by a couple of western hit music radio stations, including a very-bad experience with one of them which kept me hanging to wait for a response for almost a month, that is when the request to the second was late enough, resulting in a negative result due to their commitment in another event. Fortunately enough to let me go for Sawt Al-Madina, who replied positively in less than 24 hours, and offered to do free commercials for the event (including very advertisement for the other sponsors – i am saying that just to tease the sponsors who weren't interested), and, most important of all, offered to do a live show from location. Something which the 1st radio station that i went too called it an expensive operation that doesn't worth the effort, and something they want to be paid for !!! (I guess their personnel wasn't informed enough regarding who he was setting in-front off!!! I guess he doesn't even know how the whole procedure goes and how the transmission is carried!!!!).

El Mohem!

Muhannad Shahwan and Rawan Khalifeh, hosts of the famous youth radio show "HUNTING" on Radio Sawt Al-Madina hosted a live show on location and radio last Friday, doing a magnificent job along with all their staff from location. And not to forget their promotion goodies that they have distributed for the public and participants.

& by the way, the event review can be found here :)

Struggling, Profitable work Vs Non Profit activity

Between the tremendous workload at the company, and tremendous activity load (NGO activity load represented in the telematch we at the JRFC are having tomorrow). i am still surviving and struggling despite the over 18 hours/ day of overlapping between both.

The irony of the situation is represented in the fact that the due date of both activities happened to be the end of this week, and for several weeks now i was busy with both of them.

Despite the fact the workload in my career is getting me money in return , especially since i am working on hourly wages now, the non-profit NGO activity i am doing with regards to tomorrow's telematch at the Jordanian Romanian Forum for Culture, is consuming enough from my time and efforts, and even relations with peers and people around me.

I dunno why, but there is something inside me that feels that i should get the best out of me for tomorrow's event. maybe also a reason is the fact that the forum's revenues from this activity will be focused in establishing a public library in our organization's offices in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, to target the local community in that area, especially after the emptiness that occurred when Paris Library (which was even a bookshop and a cafe, and not a library) was turned into a cheap pub!

Don't forget, its tomorrow, 4.30 PM at the Jubilee Schools .. More Information HERE

The Summer Telematch games! Friday 29 August starting 5 PM

The Jordanian Romanian Forum for Culture, along with The Jubilee Schools Alumni Club, are co-organizing:

The Summer Telematch games!

This Coming Friday, August the 29th, 2008. at the Jubilee Schools – King Hussein Foundation. Starting 5 PM.
With many games and cool prizes for participating teams and audience, come and join us, enjoy your time and win!

Entry Tickets are valued at 3 JD and 1 JD for under 15 years, JRFC members, and Jubilee Alumni members.
For more information, please call 0795959080 or 0788787064

This event is sponsored by: McDonalds, 4D Cinemas – Mecca Mall, Ballalino, Proud and Mood Juices. Official Entertainment Sponsor: Radio Sawt Al-Madina.

Location Map:

The Shashati Show

The Shashati Show, this coming saturday, August 24th at the citadel. Short movies, music, and more!

Messiness of Urban Public transportation in Amman

هذه التدوينة متوفرة أيضاً باللغة العربية هنا


I've wrote once before, in another post, on another occasion how did the Urban Public Transportation in Amman became "Worse Than Ever".

That is, apart from much other occasions writing about urban public transportation in Amman, always depending on personal experiences or related people's experiences.

And the story continues, and Messier than ever, and even on the most important routes in the capital operated by the CMTC, and even in front of the management and owners of the CMTC.

Time: Yesterday, 19-8-2008. at 4:19 PM
Place: Amman, Al-Haramein intersection (Al-Kilo), specifically at the Bus Station on Mecca Street before the intersection, on the southern edge of the road (pretty much adjacent to Abu Khader Automotive building, where the management offices of the CMTC are located).

2 Routes pass by that bus station, Medical City – Raghadan (Route Nr 43), and The Western Circular Route (Nr 59).

At that very moment i reached the station, there were around 10 people and counting.

4:26 PM
At the station there are around 15 individuals, a bus working on route 43 reaches the station (which was for the note, 1 of the newly introduced 116 Mercedes Elba buses, and had the digital route display TURNED OFF!), people wave for him to stop, and nothing, the bus continues while passing just by them!!! The bus seats were full, and some people were standing, but there was space for more standing people. Some waiting passengers were upset, others decided to take a taxi.

4:40 PM
15 – 17 people waiting at the station, as some people appeared, and others left by Taxis, far away in the street a bus on Route 43 appears, but when getting closer it decides to get through the tunnel under the intersection.... The waiting passengers started laughing ironically on their situation.

4:45 PM
A bus working on the Western Circular route (Nr 59), which i was waiting for, reaches the station. That is, after 25 minutes of waiting a bus whose frequency is said to be 15 minutes, and the rest of the passengers remained there waiting for the Raghadan bus which is said to have a frequency of 10 minutes.... in addition to another 7 individuals waiting for the same bus in the bus station situated after the intersection, who i saw while my bus was turning left at the round about.

All of this, just off the windows of the Comprehensive Multiple Transportation Company, whose buses were being waited by those people.

As a passenger, as well as person interested in the Ammani public transportation industry and service, and a user of it.... I don't need any more High-tech, i don't need no Smart nor Stupid card systems (which you have been promoting for over a year now with slow progress of implementation), I don't need Urban and environment friendly buses, nor ones on European standards. Nor i need beautiful painting that fakes out the truth behind the vehicle bodies branded catchy-ly as “autobus”

All I want is commitment and respect... without it, all the above are CRAP!

فوضوية النقل العام داخل عمان.. أكثر من أي وقت مضى

This post is also available in English HERE

في مناسبة أخرى، كتبت في إحدى تدويناتي عن النقل العام المدني في عمان، و كيف أضحى في وقت كتابة تلك التدوينة "أسوء من أي وقت مضى".

ذلك عدا عن مناسبات أخرى عديدة كتبت فيها عن النقل العام داخل مدينة عمان.. معتمداً في كل الأحيان على تجارب شخصية أو أناس مقربين.

وتستمر الأسطورة، و بفوضاوية أكثر من أي وقت مضى.. و حتى على أكثر الخطوط حيوية في العاصمة التي تديرها الشركة المتكاملة، لا بل و حتى أمام مرأى مالكي و إداريي الشركة المتكاملة للنقل المتعدد!

الوقت: البارحة ، 19-8-2008. الساعة 4:19 مساءاً

الموقع: عمان، تقاطع الحرمين (الكيلو). بالتحديد على محطة الباصات الواقعة في شارع مكة قبل التقاطع على الجهة الجنوبية (قرب مقر مجموعة أبو خضر للسيارات، و التي تحوي أيضاً إدارة الشركة المتكاملة للنقل المتعدد).

يمر من ذلك الموقف خطان للنقل العام، المدينة الطبية – رغدان (خط رقم 43) ، و الدائري الغربي (خط رقم 59).

كان في تلك اللحظة التي وصلت فيها المحطة قرابة الــ 10 أشخاص ينتظرون، و غيري يستمر بالقدوم..

4:26

في المحطة قرابة الـ 15 شخص ... يصل باص يعمل على الخط 43 (بالمناسبة كان أحد الباصات الــ 116 التي أدخلت مؤخراً للخدمة، و شاشة الخط كانت مطفئة و لا تعمل)، يقوم الناس بالتلويح له للوقف و لكنه لا يتوقف!!!! و يستمر في المسير!! كان الباص ممتلئة مقاعده و لكن كان يوجد مكان للوقوف فيه.

بعض المنتظرين انزعجوا بحكم طول انتظارهم.و البعض قرر ان يركب تكسي.

4:40

في المحطة قرابة الـ 15-17 شخص بحكم أن أناس جدد أتوا لينتظروا الباص بينما آخرين غادروا. يبدوا في الأفق باص قادم يعمل على الخط 43، و لكن، و عند اقترابه قرر أن يدخل في النفق، و بالتالي لم يكن في وسع المنتظرين في المحطة سوى الضحك سخرية........... الله بعين، اللي استنى نص ساعة بستنى ساعة.

4:45

يأتي باص يعمل على خط الدائري الغربي (59) الذي كنت أنتظره، بعد 25 دقيقة انتظار لباص يحكى أن تردده كل 15 دقيقة، و بقي ركاب خط رغدان الذي يحكى أن تردد باصاته كل 10 دقائق في المحطة ينتظرونه ... كما كان غيرهم (حوالي الـ 7 أشخاص) ينتظرونه أيضاً في المحطة التي بعد التقاطع، و الذين شاهدتهم أثناء دوران الباص الذي ركبته للدوار.

كل ذلك حدث أمام مكاتب إدارة الشركة التي ينتظر أولائك الناس باصاتها.

كـــراكب و كشخص مهتم بالنقل العام في عمان و مستخدم له ... لم أعد أريد تكنولوجيا، لا أريد بطاقات ذكية و لا غبية (تعملون لها دعايات لأكثر من عام على الفاضي)، لا أريد باصات حديثة و لا صديقة للبيئة و لا حسب المواصفات الأوروبية. و لا دهان خارجي لائق و مزيف للحقائق المخفية وراء الهياكل مع إسم تجاري للأوتوباص!

كل ما أريد هو التزام و حياء ... فبدونه لا فائدة من كل ما سبق.

McDonalds UJ reopens, with Free Internet :)

After the fire incident that happened with McDonalds, University of Jordan branch last march. McDonalds seemed to renovate the entire place and make some major changes in it.

Last week, the branch has reopened its doors, and with new added values for its customers, especially taking into consideration the place where this branch is located and the concentration of students in the area. So they have installed several PCs with Free internet :) also, Free wireless will be available soon.

So I guess in several days, we will be on the map of the world wide "McWireless" and its also not a McInternet cafe like this one in Sweden, where they charge 1$ for 30 Minutes (will, this was back in 2003)

The new arrangement in the store is pretty nice as well, though i didnt like the big LCD thingy with Rotana Clip on it... I felt it a sort of a copy cat!

Smart move McDonalds Jordan, and i'd for sure prefer a McWireless than a McDoos Mr moey :D

HM Queen Rania wraps up her YouTube Videos Series

Queen Rania have deployed, as promised a new video to comment on the responses and reactions on the previous video casts was published by her majesty on August 12th.



This video is the last one out of her series of Videos, in which she aimed to discuss and breakdown Stereotypes of Arabs, which are available through her Youtube channel here.

Radio Guide Update: Amen FM in Aqaba on 89.5 FM

Radio Amen FM (أمن FM), The police department's radio station has started broadcasting on the wave of 89.5 FM in the southern city port of Aqaba

Romanian police to enhance their public image, with PhotoModels :)

Yes, the romanian police, along with PROLEX (The National Romanian Syndicate of Police Officers), are launching an image enhancement campaign for the Romanian police. Part of this, is a calendar, where they used photos of models dressed in Police Uniforms ... or well, sexy police uniforms :)

take a look:

The Mahjoob exhibition starting today

Starting today, August 3, 2008 at the City Hall - Ras Al-Ein. Opposite to Al-7oot for wheels maintenance :D

Low Quality Music in the background of Jordanian shops and stores

I wanted to talk about this since, over a year now! I was just not compiling it too well! Though all of us, young and old, males and females, suffer from this all over the place, and in Amman in particular, where hyper markets and brand stores and shops are spreading like mashrooms.

I have been always (in general) annoyed by the quality of music being aired in the background of shops around town. And we are talking about big fat shops, some very popular among people, some very rich and classy, bad music selected by some sassy sleazy employees most probably, and maybe sometimes even selected after an argue and stopped and yet changed again by another employee and so on, just like if they're in their own bedroom arguing which song is nicer!

Examples?!
Lets see,
most of the clothes and wears brandshops around sweifieh and mecca mall have a problem in the quality of music being aired in the background as it comes to measures of:
Sound Quality: despite most of them are equipped with high-tech sound systems, but they just get screwed up by missing up with the equalizers!

Music Quality: especially the music content, as a lot of them air “dirty versions” of hiphop and R'n'B songs. This was observed even in stores where different ages and classes of people would regularly shop, just like “Max” and “Centerpoint” for example, as well as depending on the employees tastes!

Employees Taste Vs Brand Taste: Probably this is the cause of all the problems, especially the one listed above. As some employees, just out of the “cool” deep inside them, decide to have an un-cleaned version of an album by eminem, and that album happen to be also an underground unreleased one (cool enough out of his coolness!), and have that in .... a children wear shop!!!! or even a young ladies accessories shop! Or some Linkin Park in an old ladies formal wear shop from an italian brand!!!!
See, this is how bad things might go in some shops. And of course, things vary just depending on the employee on the shift and his/her mood!

Sound Volume: Loud Volume in particular. In some shops you can just feel that you are in a club!! well, ok, maybe the clothes at Cool Cat or Pull and Bear at city mall are just the ones for clubbing, but you should SHOUT to tell one of the employees about ur size!!!!!

I just can't count the cases and shops of improper sound/shop combinations around town. And the bad soundtracks of our shopping experience.

There are some positive things lately around and about, for example, and after AZADEA group opened Virgin Mega store in City Mall – Amman. They seemed to supply most of the brandshops ran by AZADEA group with precompiled music collections and mixes. That was easy to observe as you can even get to hear the same music combination at more than one shop ran by AZADEA, and you can even get to guess what track is next :D

Cozmo supermarket has also a predefined music combination, integrated with offers announcements, and even closing hours announcements being aired in the background, all of this at a controlled volume, and a well selected list of tracks that cope with the place's atmosphere and customers' expected music genres.

Radio is VERY absent from our shopping soundtracks. And I mean VERY! As the only place where i have mentioned to have radio being aired in the background is Al Ahlyyah Plaza Superstores in Shmeisani, they always have Mood FM on.

Even Smartbuy, who has a weekly show Live from the store on Radio Rotana, DOESN'T have Radio Rotana on, they even have a totally different music genre aired even!!

Why aren't radio stations marketing people going on this track!! or is it that they consider marketing related only to have sponsorships and how much to repeat ads per hour! Hint hint Strategic long-term marketing plans!
Even in small local radio stations in europe, just like the ones in the town I live in romania, some radio stations get relations with some local supermarkets to have their radio station aired in their shop (or shops in case of a chain of 3 supermarkets for example), and in return the radio station guarantees not having any marketing deals with other competitive supermarkets.

This is just an example of 10s others that can be implemented in getting more listener-ship and presence for a certain station or another in the market. Like for example having door radio stickers announcing the customers that they can enjoy their shopping experience along with Radio XYZ. (much more smarter than having a simple computer printed ad on 5 shopping carts i guess!). Some radio stations can make efforts enriching the shops sound equipments just for the sake of having the radios in that shop fixed on their radio station! (hint hint: Most of our lovely jordanian Radios' transmissions cannot be received inside most of the Malls)

I mean! Can't those radio guys just scratch their minds or what! There is a lot of potential in the market since the listener ship as statistics show or still less than 50% on daily basis... and can't they just benefit of the fact that ads in printed media are not reaching everyone like radio, despite the fact that audio-ads are still 10 times less than printed ads!

I guess i will open my own consultations house to teach those guys in the market my stupid ideas and charge them some grands! And on the side have a radio station where i would implement my ideas and rock all the other stations down :D