The Public Authority for Radio and Television (PART) in Oman was established in 2010 to run the state-owned broadcasting outlets in Oman. They include Oman TV, the national television channel in the Sultanate of Oman, which began broadcasting in 1974, and Radio Oman, the nationwide radio channel in Oman. The television broadcaster runs four channels, including its flagship generalist Oman TV channel, a sports channel and a culture-focused channel. The radio broadcaster has programs in both Arabic and English. Radio broadcasting was launched in Oman in 1970 when the channels Radio Sultanate of Oman and Radio Salalah were established as communication channels aimed at pushing back against anti-Oman propaganda spread at the time by South Yemen, a neighboring country run by communists.
Media assets
Television: Oman TV; Radio: Radio Oman
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
PART, the body that manages Oman TV and Radio Oman, is subordinated to the Cabinet of Ministers, the government of Oman. The general directors of Oman TV and Radio Oman report to the Ministry of Information in Oman.
Source of funding and budget
Oman TV and Radio Oman are fully funded through a state subsidy that is allocated to PART, a state body that was established through the Royal Decree No. 108/2010 and the Royal Decree No. 100/2011 to manage the state broadcast media in Oman.
Editorial independence
The government is very strict when it comes to the editorial coverage of Oman TV and Radio Oman. Criticism of authorities is totally forbidden on the state-run media, according to journalists and experts who have followed Oman’s media in recent years.
No domestic statute and no independent assessment/oversight mechanism that would validate the independence of Oman TV and Radio Oman have been identified.
August 2023