Kuwait Television
Kuwait Television—commonly known as KTV—is the official state-run broadcaster of Kuwait, operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Information. Since its launch in November 1961, it has expanded into a nationwide network comprising eight terrestrial channels, a satellite channel, and a streaming platform—collectively reaching audiences across the globe.
In May 2024, the station launched the 51 Kuwait streaming platform, offering access to all eight terrestrial channels plus the satellite news channel Al-Akhbar.
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
Ownership and governance
Kuwait Television is wholly owned and operated by the Ministry of Information and functions as an internal division of the ministry itself. It is not a publicly chartered broadcaster, nor does it operate at arm’s length from the government.
All editorial staff, technical teams, and executive managers are appointed directly by the Ministry, and the broadcaster is institutionally embedded within the ministry’s bureaucratic hierarchy. Its legal and administrative identity is indistinguishable from that of the Ministry, with no corporate or statutory firewall ensuring functional separation or autonomy.
Source of funding and budget
According to local journalists and media experts interviewed in May 2024 and April 2025, Kuwait Television is financed almost exclusively through public subsidies allocated by the Kuwaiti state via the Ministry of Information.
In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the Ministry was allocated a total budget of KWD 280.7 million (approximately USD 912 million), according to official budgetary documents. No significant portion of Kuwait TV’s funding is known to come from commercial activity, confirming the broadcaster’s total financial dependence on the state.
Editorial independence
As an agency of the Ministry of Information, Kuwait TV is subject to direct editorial control from ministerial leadership. According to regional academics and media experts consulted for this report, the Ministry issues detailed editorial directives that guide content production across all thematic areas—especially those concerning politics, foreign affairs, and public discourse.
Political programming, including talk shows and news coverage, is described as being harshly censored and closely monitored, with little space permitted for divergent or oppositional perspectives. The broadcaster operates as an instrument for message discipline and state narrative management, rather than as a platform for open journalism or pluralistic debate.
As of June 2025, no domestic statute or legal instrument guaranteeing the editorial independence of Kuwait Television has been identified. The broadcaster functions entirely within the structure of the Ministry of Information, without the benefit of a legal charter, editorial code, or regulatory protections that would enable or enforce independence from political authority.
July 2025