The Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which used to be known as the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and the Broadcasting Services of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA), is a government-run organization that operates almost all broadcasters available in the Saudi Arabian Kingdom.
Media assets
Television: Al Saudiya, Al Ekhbariya, AlRiyadiya, SBC, Sunnah TV, Quran TV, Thikrayat TV
Radio: Ryiadh Radio, Jeddah Radio, Holy Quran Radio, Saudi Radio, Radio Call of Islam, Al-Ekhbariya Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
SBA is a Saudi government organization subordinated to the Ministry of Media. Members of the SBA’s board of directors, the highest governing body in SBA, are appointed by the ministry. The minister heads the board.
Source of funding and budget
There is no publicly available data about SBA’s revenues and budget. According to three journalists and experts covering Saudi Arabia interviewed for this report in May 2024, SBA is fully funded by the government.
Editorial independence
Like most media in Saudi Arabia, SBA’s media outlets follow a series of restrictions and censorship rules imposed by the government. As SBA is run as a state organization, its editorial line is under the government’s control.
No domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of SBA’s outlets has been identified.
July 2024