Bahrain’s plan to start a radio station for the entire Gulf area has being backed by regional officials.

Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA reports that the proposed station got the go-ahead at a meeting of senior radio officials from the region on Wednesday.

The new channel will promote the traditions, culture, art and literature of the six GCC countries, said Yusuf Mustafa, a spokesman for Bahrain’s information ministry.

The station is set to be launched next month under the name “This is the Arabian Gulf”.

Engineers will check the quality of FM transmission in each country over the first few months of broadcast, said Mustafa.

The new channel is likely to need extra high-powered transmitters to reach all six countries adequately.