Newspapers
Brunei Darussalam publishes newspapers in multiple languages covering local, regional and international news. The three major local newspapers are Borneo Bulletin, Media Permata and Pelita Brunei.
Borneo Bulletin is the country’s oldest paper, published since 1953 by Brunei Press. The English paper started off as a weekly report for the expatriate community in the Belait District. In addition to the mainstream news, the newspaper also carries sports, lifestyle and leisure pages, distributing 25,000 copies on weekdays and 30,000 copies over the weekend.
Media Permata is the Malay equivalent of Borneo Bulletin, published since 1994. It was initially published as a weekly insert in its English counterpart and was eventually published six days a week since 1998 from Monday to Saturday. Today, Media Permata distributes 15,000 copies on weekdays and 20,000 copies over the weekend.
Pelita Brunei is a Malay newspaper, produced by the Information Department at the Prime Minister’s Office. First published in 1956, the paper primarily covers government related news and events including features on tender information, interdepartment sports activities and job vacancies within government institutions. The paper can be found in various places nationwide including government departments, the airport and petrol stations.
Televesion & Radio
In 1957, Brunei saw its inaugural radio broadcast go live. The station was operated by the state, which later evolved into Radio Television Brunei (RTB) as a television and radio network. RTB operates three channels: RTB Perdana which focuses on government policies, current affairs and international information; RTB Aneka for family entertainment; and RTB Sukmaindera for all sorts of news related to Brunei. RTB also runs five radio channels: Nasional FM (92.3 or 93.8), Pilihan FM (95.9 or 96.9), Pelangi FM (91.4 or 91.0), Harmoni FM (94.1 or 97.7) and Nur Islam FM (93.3 or 94.9).
The RTBGo mobile app offers free access to local content production such as drama, entertainment, documentaries and talk shows. The public can also follow the GoLIVE channel which broadcasts live programmes or special programmes not aired via conventional television channels.
Kristal Media Sdn Bhd is a DST subsidiary which runs the radio channel KRISTALfm, one of Brunei’s private commercial radio stations. The popular station is known to play a variety of music from current chart-toppers to throwback songs and classic tunes. KRISTALfm is available through 90.7FM for Brunei-Muara listeners and 98.7FM for Belait listeners.
