The leading Malayalam FM station in the UAE, Hit 96.7 was launched in 2004 to entertain and inform the largest expatriate community in the Gulf – the Malayalees. Spoken by about 37 million people, Malayalam is the predominant language in the state of Kerala, southern India. About 1.8 million Malayalam speakers now live in the UAE and targeting this population made Hit 96.7 a resounding success right from its inception. Living up to its name, the station quickly created a large and loyal listener base of about one million here in the UAE plus many more people around the world who tune in via the internet.