MUMBAI:The first Indian language private FM radio station has been launched for Indians in Bahrain. The Information ministry of Bahrain has granted a license to the Strategic Publicity & Advertising Company to run an Indian language FM channel.

"This is the first time a private radio channel is being established in Bahrain," said SPAC chairman P Unnikrishnan.

Voice FM 104.2 will broadcast 60 per cent programmes in Malayalam, 30 per cent in Hindi and 10 per cent in Tamil, said Unnikrishnan.

"We will start with a two-hour show on Saturday, and Voice FM will become a 24-hour channel before 15 November," he was quoted as saying in Gulf Daily News.

"Asianet`s B`cast Media will produce five hours of programmes from Kerala for the Bahrain channel. It will include an interactive show by popular radio star Sreekandan Nair, who will be in Bahrain for a live broadcast on Saturday," he said.

The promotion for the channel will be broadcast from Wednesday, marking the golden jubilee of the birth of the Kerala state, Unnikrishnan added.

In the UAE, there are 14 private radio channels in Indian languages, mainly Malayalam