Kuwait Television is the official state-run television broadcaster in Kuwait. The broadcaster runs eight channels.


Media assets

Television: KTV1, KTV2, KTV Sport, KTV Sport Plus, KTV Kids, KTV Ethraa, KTV Arabe, Al Qurain, KTV Al Majlis

State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)


Ownership and governance

According to three local experts and journalists interviewed in May 2024, Kuwait Television is funded almost entirely through state subsidies from the Ministry of Information budget. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Ministry of Information received a budget of KWD 280.7 (US$ 912m), according to a state budget document.

Source of funding and budget

Kuwait Television is funded almost entirely through state subsidies that are included in the Ministry of Information budget, according to local experts and journalists.

Editorial independence

As a ministry agency, Kuwait TV follows a set of editorial rules imposed on the station by the ministry. The Ministry of Information provides the station’s management with strict instructions on how to cover every possible theme, especially those related to politics, according to academics based in Qatar interviewed for this report. Notably, political talk shows and news content are very harshly censored and monitored. 

No domestic statute and independent assessment/oversight mechanism that would validate the independence of Kuwait TV have been identified.

July 2024