Culture & Education | Tuesday 1 May, 2018 12:15 pm |

Bringing a new dimension to UAE broadcasting, Sharjah Media Corporation has unveiled Pulse 95, the emirate’s first English speaking radio station featuring leading voices from the Emirati and global community including Sally Mousa, Sara Al Madani, Ana Schofield, Anna Roberts, Omar Al Busaidy, Hassan Dennaoui (Big Hass), and Iman Al-Majali, who will present a vibrant mix of local and international news, exclusive interviews, features, morning talks, evening segments, and a unique blend of acoustic music that will cover chart-topping hits.

Themed ‘The Heart of Sharjah’, Pulse 95 is set to become the newest English voice in UAE radio, broadcast from Sharjah to the whole of the country on 95.0. 

The station is hosted by a team of highly energetic, multi-cultural presenters from the UAE, Arab region, and beyond, with a vast range of experience spanning the UK, Australia and the Middle East, whose shows will be complemented by input from the around the world.

Pulse 95 will feature daily personalities, stories and interviews covering local, regional and international issues, while highlighting the latest developments in Sharjah and the UAE, including business, education, culture, innovation and travel and tourism.

The announcement was made during the launch event held yesterday (Monday) at Al Majaz Amphitheatre, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Media Council, Mohammad Hassan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Media Corporation, Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Government Relations Department, Dr Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City (Shams), Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary General of Sharjah Media Council, and Khalid Jassem Al Madfa, Chairman of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Media Council, described the advent of the station as a great step forward in increasing the reach, broadening the scope and driving the progress of radio in the UAE.

“The launch of Pulse 95 is an exciting venture into a new market for Sharjah Media Corporation. We have seen a real need to fill the gap in English language output, particularly when so many of the emirate’s residents use English in their day-to-day lives and increasingly conduct business in English.

“In line with that, we have created a unique station which has a worldwide agenda with Sharjah at the heart of its content, delivered by international presenters in an innovative, engaging and progressive format. This is a milestone for UAE broadcasting which can promote the residential, tourism and entrepreneurial benefits of Sharjah while catering to a local audience that wants entertainment, information and human interest.”

For the first time across the region, Pulse 95 is also bringing listeners popular top-forty chart music in an acoustic format, in line with the brand of the station and its talk radio style.

Mohammed Yanez, Head of Pulse 95, said: “We have ensured that every aspect of the content is consistent and the introduction of the acoustic music element follows that perfectly, being complementary rather than intrusive.

“Our goal is to be a totally inclusive, fun, trusted, feel-good station, bringing the listeners positive, upbeat stories of real people. Our presenters are exceptional, with backgrounds in journalism and talk radio across national stations both at home and abroad. They also have huge social media influence, so many of our listeners will know their names already.

“With that in mind and in tune with a modern, digital and tech-savvy audience, Pulse 95 will broadcast through a multi-media platform that includes radio and online. 

“We are the first English station in Sharjah, but we are not aiming purely at listeners who are native English speakers. Pulse 95 is still very much an option for people who understand English and still enjoy the format and content of the shows even though it may not be their first language.”

The Shows

‘The Morning Majlis’, hosted by Sally Mousa, Sara Al Madani and Omar Al Busaidy kick-starts the week from 7-10 am every day with top news stories on business, tech and innovation, education, culture and heritage, health and wellness, food, in addition to lifestyle, art and design, plus interviews with game changers and industry experts that will get listeners thinking and talking.

‘Musafir in the City’ is presented by Anna Roberts on weekdays from 4-5 pm, who will be travelling across the emirate, focussing on interviewing and profiling different places, people and events, reviving the traditional radio documentary format by complimenting audio with visuals.

‘Yalla Home’ is hosted by Big Hass and Ana Schofield on weekdays from 5-8 pm, who will bring stories and topics on Science, Technology, Business, Food, Education, Health and Lifestyle, to entertain listeners on their ride home.

Presenters

Omar Al Busaidy: @omaralbusaidy

Omar is one of three highly energetic presenters on the Pulse 95 daily morning programme ‘The Morning Majlis’, which kick-starts the day from 7-10am, bringing the stories that are shaping headlines, plus interviews with game changers and industry experts that will get listeners thinking and talking.

Omar is an Emirati Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, as well as a bestselling author of a self-help book called ‘Just Read It’ and a tech entrepreneur.

Sally Mousa: @sallymousa

Sally is joined by Omar Al Busaidy and Sara Al Madani in presenting ‘The Morning Majlis’ from 7-10am on Pulse 95, bringing a global perspective to the show as an Australian of Middle Eastern background. 

Sally has been a dynamic voice in UAE radio for a number of years, exploring topics ranging from business and tech, education and health to culture and the arts. As a passionate traveller, Sally loves to discover art, design and food across cultures. 

Sara Al Madani: @sara_almadani_

Completing the dynamic trio for the opening show, Sara Al Madani is an inspirational public speaker, fashion designer and serial entrepreneur who brings unrivalled local business and young socialite perspectives to ‘The Morning Majlis’ table daily from 7-10am.

In 2014, Sara became the youngest member of the board at Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the SME Council in the UAE Ministry of Economy. With 106k personal followers on Instagram, and 5,000 on Facebook, 200,000 on LinkedIn she already has a huge fan base who will be hanging on her every word.

Anna Roberts: @imannaroberts

Award winning radio presenter Anna Roberts hosts 'Musafir in the City' from 4-5pm weekdays, where she will be travelling across Sharjah, interviewing and profiling the melting pot of cultures, places, people and events. 

Anna has worked in international TV and Radio for more than a decade. Having grown up in the UAE, Anna is passionate about sharing the stories that make Sharjah so unique and sharing her own stories of business, lifestyle and being a mother of twins. 

Ana Schofield: @anaschofielddxb 

Ana is a multi-award winning radio and TV presenter, and global voice-over artist co-hosting ‘Yalla Home’ from 5-8pm, a drive-time show with Big Hass. Her reputation for quality and quirky natural presenting has put her at the forefront of daily listening in local and international radio, including eight years’ experience of broadcasting in the UAE. 

After winning her Sony Radio Award, Ana was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II for her ‘Contributions to Radio' and lists the invitation as one of the most incredible experiences of her career to date.

Hassane Dennaoui: @big_hass

Hassane Dennaoui, or ‘Big Hass’ to his friends, will co-host ‘Yalla Home’ from 5-8pm, a drive-time show with Ana Schofield. Big Hass was the radio host of Saudi's only FM Hip-Hop Radio Show ‘Laish Hip-Hop?’ and the founder of Re-Volt Blog and Re-Volt Magazine. 

He believes passionately in music liberation and takes pride in supporting local and regional artists. He is also an advocate for children with Autism and believes it is a way of life.

Iman Al-Majali @mimimajali_adventures

An adventurer at heart, Iman will be will be presenting the News at Pulse 95. She started her career in journalism in 2008 after graduating from Dublin, Ireland, and has been a news anchor and reporter in Future News TV in Beirut, Jordan TV, Russia Today, and more. Iman is a certified fitness personal trainer and loves to travel and explore the world