The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ in the Arab world
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic's multimedia service on TV
The launch of a television news and information service in Arabic is a landmark for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳. As the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s first publicly-funded international television service, it is freely available to everyone with a satellite or cable connection in the region, whether they are in North Africa, the Middle East or the Gulf.
Ìý
The new ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television service will work together with Arabic radio and online services to cover international and major regional issues. It will carry discussion programmes and debates. The new service will maintain the service's reputation as a "gold standard" of objectivity and impartiality.
Ìý
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic TV is distributed by Arabsat, Eutelsat and Nilesat satellite systems:
Ìý
Arabsat – Badr 4
Ìý
Orbital location – 26 degrees East
Transponder number – 15
Frequency – 11996 MHz
Polarisation – Horizontal
Symbol rate – 27500
FEC – ¾
Ìý
Eutelsat – Hotbird 8
Ìý
Orbital location – 13 degrees East
Transponder number – 50
Frequency – 11.72748 GHz
Polarisation – Vertical
Symbol rate – 27500
FEC– ¾
Ìý
Nilesat 102
Ìý
Orbital location – 7 degrees West
Transponder number – 26
Frequency – 12206 MHz
Polarisation – Vertical
Symbol rate – 27500
FEC – ¾
Ìý
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television programmes
Ìý
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic reports and analyses world and regional events around the clock.
Ìý
On the spot coverage is delivered by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ – the biggest team of journalists in the world, with 250 correspondents reporting from 72 bureaux around the world. Additional regional expertise comes from an extensive network of local reporters and correspondents.
Ìý
The Head of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic, Hosam El Sokkari, says: "³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic is already renowned for covering stories and issues which others have ignored; for reporting more than just conflict and politics. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic aims to continue to broaden the news agenda for audiences in the region. It will reflect the breadth of the Arab audience's interests.
Ìý
"The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is the largest newsgathering organisation in the world. Only it can make the unique offer to Arab audiences: It can be your ears and eyes. Not just on the ground where you live, but throughout the region and around the rest of the world.
Ìý
"The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has 70 years of reporting the region in the Arabic language. We are uniquely experienced to bring the key issues of the region and world to Arab audiences. Because ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service is a true broadcast service for the world, we are also best placed to take the views, key issues and real lives of our Arab audiences to the rest of the world. No one else has our multimedia strength – on television, on radio, online and on any multimedia device you want your news delivered.
Ìý
"We will offer comprehensive multimedia news reporting and analysis to audiences and, in turn, involve Arab audiences in an authentic dialogue on the issues that reflect their lives."
Ìý
Daily news programmes:
Ìý
Daily news bulletins
Ìý
- Every day ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic reports the news breaking around the region and around the world.
- Headlines of the key stories are broadcast at the top of each hour and every 15 minutes.
- There is a full news summary every 30 minutes on the hour and half-hour.
Ìý
Al Alam Hatha Al Masaa and Hassad Alyoum Alekhbary (Newshour)
Ìý
Two different programmes, twice a day, Newshour is ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic's flagship daily news programme.
Ìý
Broadcast at 18.00 GMT (Al Alam Hatha Al Masaa) and 20.00 GMT (Hassad Alyoum Alekhbary), each edition is an hour of news, analysis, background reports, key interviews and debate on the top events making the news in the region and around the world that day.
Ìý
The later edition of Newshour at 20.00 GMT will be a fast-paced daily window on the world – the one stop for the key analysis and insight for understanding the events of the day. It features interviews with the newsmakers, commentators and experts from all over the world – as well as the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s unrivalled network of correspondents around the world.
Ìý
Al Alam Hatha Al Masaa is broadcast at 18.00 GMT and Hassad Alyoum Alekhbary at 20.00 GMT every day.
Ìý
Weekly programmes:
Ìý
Nuqtat Hewar (Point Of Debate)
Ìý
Nuqtat Hewar is the pioneering live multimedia interactive debating forum that gets to the heart of the matter of a single issue in each edition.
Ìý
Authoritative but informal in tone, this will be a key forum for passionate, lively, free-flowing debate where the audience shares its thoughts across the whole of the Arab world.
Ìý
Nuqtat Hewar will be presented by Hosam El Sokkari. He will be leading the debate to get the real voices of the region heard. It will be a regional conversation that's informative, inspiring, challenging, outspoken and controversial – but never boring.
Ìý
Using contributions from the dedicated Nuqtat Hewar website, the programme will be broadcast for about 50 minutes on both radio and television. This will extended on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic radio for about 30 minutes. This is a pioneering tri-media programme – unique in Arab broadcasting.
Ìý
Taking one issue, it uses modern technology to be a truly unique live interactive dialogue. Nuqtat Hewar aims to use phone calls, emails, text messages, blogs, pictures, and professionally shot pre-recorded vox pops in key cities, as well as 3G and webcam contributions.
Ìý
Nuqtat Hewar will cover news, politics and social issues. Its range of topics will be the widest in Arab broadcasting – tackling the big issues that make a difference to lives throughout the region – including subjects regarded as social taboos.
Ìý
Nuqtat Hewar is multicast on both ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television and radio three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 15.06 GMT). Following the multicast on both platforms the debate continues on radio for 30 minutes.
Ìý
Ajenda Maftouha (Open Agenda)
Ìý
Open Agenda is an in-depth exploration of a single issue. Each edition features a single presenter and a range of guests. They will delve beneath the headlines to examine the undercurrents behind the headlines and bring a wide range of perspectives to the issue at hand.
Ìý
Open Agenda is broadcast on Tuesdays at 19.00 GMT (repeated on Wednesdays at 13.00 GMT).
Ìý
Lajnat Taqqasi Al Haqqaeq (The Commission)
Ìý
A panel of independent people get to the heart of the matter by investigating topical social, political and economic issues in The Commission every week.
Ìý
The panel call expert witnesses and key commentators to examine their knowledge and capture their insights on the key issues. Together they dig deep to explore different perspectives on one of the big issues of the day.
Ìý
Linked from London, the programme is recorded on location around the region.
Ìý
The Commission is broadcast on Wednesdays at 19.00 GMT (repeated on Thursdays at 13.00 GMT).
Ìý
Fiassameem (To The Point)
Ìý
To The Point is the hard-hitting, one-to-one interview news programme, presented by Hasan Muawad. He will ask the difficult questions of the personalities behind the stories that make the news – from international political leaders to entertainers; from corporate decision-makers to ordinary individuals facing huge challenges.
Ìý
The half-hour interview is the result of detailed research and in-depth investigations.
Ìý
To The Point is broadcast on Fridays at 19.30 GMT (repeated on Saturdays at 13.30 GMT).
Ìý
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television presenters
Ìý
Rania Al Alattar
Ìý
Rania began her career in broadcasting industry in early 2003 when she joined the Baghdad office of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic.
Ìý
In 2004, she started to work for Baghdad-based Nahrain TV as presenter and correspondent of political, cultural and entertainment shows such as the daily one-hour live newscast, Baghdad Today; weekly musical programme, Bayuna; and weekly cinema show, Nejoom.
Ìý
In 2005, Rania moved to the US to work at Al Hurrah television where she presented daily live news bulletins, summaries, breaking news and conducted live interviews. During this time she also worked in the newsroom, researching, writing and editing reports as well as covering events as a producer and correspondent.
Ìý
Fida Bassil
Ìý
Fida Bassil has long experience in TV journalism, having worked at a range of TV stations including Al Hayat-LBC, MTV and ART. Before joining the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, she worked as a bulletin editor and presenter at the international news channel, ABN (Arabic News Broadcast), in Lebanon.
Ìý
Fida holds a master's degree in Political Science and has attended many training courses and seminars on TV journalism.
Ìý
Tony El-Khoury
Ìý
Tony El-Khoury is known to TV viewers and newspaper readers by his alias, Anotine Khoury. He started his media career 16 years ago when he joined the London-based Al Hayat newspaper. He then moved to broadcast media, joining the London-based MBC TV as a producer.
Ìý
Trained as a TV presenter with Independent Weather Productions at UK's ITV, he covered a wide variety of programmes – politics, current affairs, weather, environment and science. He also worked as reporter on various assignments, the most recent being with the Dubai-based satellite TV channel, Al Arabiya, as UK roving reporter.
Ìý
For almost two years Tony worked with the leading Lebanese TV station, LBC, anchoring the nightly news programme, The World Tonight, first from its headquarters in Adma and later from London. He also presented live telethon-type events, such as the United States and Lebanese elections, with live results of the polls.
Ìý
Tony is a winner of various international awards, including best International Weather Graphics Presenter for MBC, and various awards for graphics for Al Arabiya News in Dubai.
Ìý
Tony studied French Literature, Linguistics and Journalism at the Lebanese University in Beirut (BA) and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London (MA).
Ìý
Dalia Mohamed
Ìý
Born in Syria to Syrian mother and Egyptian father, Dalia Mohamed started her media career in 2003 at Damascus Radio where she worked for five years. There, she produced, presented and directed the weekly Cinema Radio programme.
Ìý
Dalia also worked for a private radio channel where she produced and presented the daily morning show, Lifestyle. She was also part of the piloting team for Cham TV, which is to be launched next year.
Ìý
Dalia says she was excited to join the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳: "It is more than just a channel. It is an academy."
Ìý
Osman Ayfarah
Ìý
Osman started his broadcasting career in 2001 as a reporter with Arab News Network (ANN). He was one of few correspondents to cover the war in Afghanistan from inside Kabul before the fall of the Taliban.
Ìý
Osman went on to work as a news presenter and talk-show host at ANN before moving on to London-based Khalifa TV, where he worked as news reporter and presenter.
Ìý
In 2003, Osman joined Dubai TV as a reporter with a brief to cover the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He then moved to the Al Arabiya TV as a reporter and presenter of business and, later, of political news and programmes.
Ìý
Hasan Muawad
Ìý
Hasan Muawad has 30 years of broadcasting experience with global and Arab media.
Ìý
Hasan's relationship with ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic started in 1977 when he joined as a producer. He went on to work as the senior producer of current affairs programming, later becoming Deputy Head, Acting Head and then Head of the Current Affairs Unit.
Ìý
In 2001, Hasan left the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ to work at the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation in Dubai as Director of Radio and then, for five and a half years, at Al Arabiya TV, where he presented a weekly current affairs hard-talk show, Point Of Order.
Ìý
During his long career in radio and TV journalism, Hasan has interviewed a number of Arab and international figures including the Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, the Iraqi Kurdish leader, Masoud Barzani, then Saudi Defense Minister, now Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah al-Thani, and the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
Ìý
Lina Musharbash
Ìý
Lina Musharbash is known as the first female TV journalist in Jordan to report from the field.
Ìý
While working for Jordan TV, she started as a royal correspondent, covering the activities of late King Hussein of Jordan and Prince Al Hassan in and outside Jordan. She later became the channel's military correspondent, covering, among other developments, the Jordanian UN peace force in Croatia and Bosnia in 1993. She also presented a weekly programme.
Ìý
In 1994, Lina joined the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) as its Jordan Correspondent, covering the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. In 1995, she joined the MBC's London-based operations as a TV presenter.
Ìý
In 2003, as Jordan became the centre of international media activities during the run-up to the war in Iraq, Lina returned to Jordan to work as Abu Dhabi TV's bureau chief there.
Ìý
In 2004, as Al Hurra TV's office was launched in Jordan, Lina joined the channel, covering news and features.
Ìý
In 2005, she moved back to London to present a daily business programme for Kuwait TV. In 2007, she joined the London team of the Russian Arabic service, Rusyia Al Yaum, covering news and features in Britain and Europe including the EU summit in Brussels in June 2007.
Ìý
Dina Waqqaf
Ìý
The media career of Dina started when she won a presenter competition in 2003. She started as a radio presenter at Syrian Arab Republic Radio and later combined this job with presenting news at Syrian TV.
Ìý
Dina has presented a political programme and several conferences as well as produced and presented her own programme, International Scene.
Ìý
Graduate of Dentistry College in Damascus, Dina has completed a range of training programmes for radio and TV presenting – from talk shows and panels to breaking news and interviewing.
Ìý
Why the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has launched an Arabic television channel
Ìý
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ believes that demand for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television is high. Audience research commissioned in 2003, and repeated in 2005, indicated a very strong demand for a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television service.
Ìý
In seven capital cities across the Arab world, a range of between 80 and 90 per cent of those surveyed said they would be "very likely" or "fairly likely" to use the service (with about half in the "very likely" group). This has remained consistently high over the past two years, and, in some areas, demand has increased in the intervening period.
Ìý
"The Arabic-speaking world is a news-hungry market," says ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service Director Nigel Chapman. "And television is now the dominant medium for consuming news in the region."
Ìý
Although ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic already has a measured weekly audience for online and radio of 14 million, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ believes that a failure to develop a TV service would prevent the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ from reaching much larger audiences with its independent and impartial quality news coverage.
Ìý
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is already the most trusted international broadcaster in the Middle East and has run an Arabic language service to the region since 1938. It is well known and respected, broadcasting on short wave, medium wave and now on over 23 FM relays across the region. bbcarabic.com was launched in 1999 and won awards as best Arabic news site.
Ìý
When the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television channel was announced, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service Director Nigel Chapman said:
Ìý
"Outside English, Arabic has historically been one of our highest-priority languages and it remains so. But the Middle East's media landscape has changed profoundly following the spread of satellite television.
Ìý
"Without a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ news presence in Arabic on television, we [the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳] run the risk of always being second to television, despite the quality of our radio and new media offers.
Ìý
"Indeed, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ was the first to see and react to the potential of television in Arabic. We launched a commercially-funded, subscription channel in Arabic in 1994, which was then shut down two years later following a major editorial disagreement with the Saudi-backed distributor, Orbit.
Ìý
"But that experience does not negate the need for an independent news and information channel in Arabic from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, as some have argued.
Ìý
"It tells us instead that we had the wrong funding model and means of distribution. That is why we are now going to launch a publicly-funded ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television service in 2007.
Ìý
"It will be funded exclusively from the grant-in-aid (³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service's funding from the UK Government), and made freely available to everyone with a satellite or cable connection.
Ìý
"This will enable it to be seen easily in countries where the growth of satellite television has been fastest, and where local regulation prevents ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ radio being heard clearly enough to make a significant impact."
Ìý
He referred to research from seven capital cities as evidence of demand for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television:
Ìý
"The latest research from seven capital cities across the Arab world in 2005 indicates that 85 per cent or more of the target group are likely to watch – and that figure has risen in all but one city in the last two years.
Ìý
"The main reason people give is quite simple – it is because the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would provide an independent news service they could trust."
Ìý
How ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television is funded
Ìý
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service's broadcasting costs are met by a separate Parliamentary grant-in-aid through the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, totalling £252m in 2007/08.
Ìý
The British Government funds ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service because they believe that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s independent approach to journalism brings credit to Britain.
Ìý
The launch of a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television channel was announced in October 2005. It was part of a wide-ranging package of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ proposals aimed at maintaining and enhancing ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service's pre-eminent position and impact in an emerging multimedia age.
Ìý
The planned investments add up to £30m by 2008. This included £19m to fund a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television channel that broadcasts for 12-hours a day with the clear ambition of moving to 24-hours a day as soon as funding became available.
Ìý
The proposals included increased investment in developing New Media in the area of interactivity and video news reporting; and increased funding for more FM radio distribution globally and an ambition to launch a Persian TV service.
Ìý
The funding for the new initiatives come through reprioritising ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service's existing grant-in-aid funding from the UK Government's Foreign & Commonwealth Office, reducing its portfolio of vernacular language services, and a vigorous programme of efficiencies.
Ìý
The British Government had earlier turned down a proposal to give additional funds to launch a new ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ service.
Ìý
In October 2007, the UK Government announced that it was to give an extra £6m a year funding to enable the new ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic television channel to broadcast for 24-hours at an agreed point in 2008.
Ìý
Printable version