By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Following up reports about the intention of the ministry of information to combine and reduce the number of TV channels and radio stations operating with the aim of reducing the number of staff members needed to operate them, informed sources stressed that only Al-Barnamej Al-A'am (General Program) and the Quran radio stations, KTV1, KTV2, KTV Plus and Al-Qurain TV channels would still be operating while all other channels and stations would be suspended.

The sources explained that the decision was made in order to cut down the number of staff members entering the ministry building and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. "On a usual rate, around 150 staff members enter the building on a daily basis to operate various TV channels and radio stations, which is too much under the current circumstances," the sources underlined, noting that radio anchors were amongst necessary staff members who would still need to report to work according to a five-hour daily schedule.

Further, the sources said that some TV and radio staff members had been selected to activate their curfew pass barcodes on their mobile phones and accordingly coordinate with the interior ministry so that they could report to work on time, provided they would only use those passes on their route from home to the ministry's building and vice versa during curfew hours and not to go out for personal errands.