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

State-Controlled (SC)

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

Media assets

Radio: Kuwait FM, AlQuran Alkarem, Super, Kuwait Radio One, Youth Voice, The Old Arabic Singing, Easy FM

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Kuwait Radio is fully owned and operated by the Ministry of Information. Legally and administratively, the broadcaster functions as an integral unit of the ministry, not as an autonomous public entity. It is not structured as a public corporation, nor does it enjoy any statutory distance from executive control.

Its staff—ranging from editorial personnel to technical and administrative teams—are government employees appointed directly by the Ministry, and the station’s strategic decisions are aligned entirely with ministerial policy directives.

Source of funding and budget

Kuwait Radio is almost entirely financed through state subsidies. Its operational and capital expenses are drawn from the Ministry of Information’s general budget. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the Ministry received a public allocation of KWD 280.7 million (equivalent to approximately USD 912 million), according to official budget records.

There is no evidence that Kuwait Radio generates significant revenue through commercial advertising or other market-based sources, confirming its financial dependence on the state.

As of June 2025, no significant change has been reported in the broadcaster’s funding model. Although Kuwait faces an ongoing fiscal deficit, media institutions such as Kuwait Radio continue to be funded without major cutbacks, reflecting their role as instruments of state communication.

Editorial independence

Editorially, Kuwait Radio operates under direct ministerial control. As a branch of the Ministry of Information, it follows a strict editorial framework dictated by the Ministry’s leadership. According to journalists and scholars interviewed for this report in May 2024 and April 2025, station management receives explicit instructions on how to handle all major editorial themes, particularly those related to politics, governance, and foreign affairs.

Coverage is carefully curated to reflect government priorities, and programming is designed to reinforce national messaging rather than facilitate critical or pluralistic debate. Political dissent, independent analysis, and investigative content are largely absent from Kuwait Radio’s broadcasts.

There is no domestic statute or legal framework guaranteeing the station’s editorial independence. The broadcaster lacks both an internal editorial charter and an external oversight mechanism to safeguard journalistic integrity or limit political interference. This absence of legal or institutional checks reinforces its role as a state-controlled communication outlet, rather than an independent public service broadcaster.

July 2025

Media assets

News agency: KUNA

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

KUNA operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Information. It is formally overseen by a Board of Directors, which includes the Chairman, the Director-General, and four additional members. All are appointed by Cabinet upon recommendation by the Ministry, ensuring that KUNA’s leadership remains firmly within the ambit of government oversight. As of mid-2025, no alterations to this governance model have been reported.

KUNA’s leadership continued under the guidance of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, who was reappointed to serve concurrently as Chairman and Director‑General earlier in 2025 through an Amiri decree.

Source of funding and budget

KUNA maintains financial independence from other state broadcasters through a dedicated budget line in the national accounts—unlike Kuwait Television and Kuwait Radio, which are subsumed under the Ministry’s general budget.

In 2023–2024, KUNA received an allocation of KWD 16 million (about US$ 52.1 million), according to budget documents reviewed for this report by media scholars in Qatar. The agency is thus fully subsidized by the state and does not rely on commercial revenues or advertising to bolster its finances.

Editorial independence

KUNA adheres to strict editorial protocols established by the Ministry of Information. It is the official mouthpiece for government announcements, policy statements, and public-sector pronouncements, reflecting an editorial line tightly aligned with official narratives.

There is no enabling statute guaranteeing editorial independence, and no independent body—the sort that might monitor or audit state media for impartiality—has been identified. KUNA remains a staunch arm of state communication, rather than a channel for independent journalism or public debate.

July 2025