BBC to launch Arabic news channel

ARABIC DEMAND: The BBC said it will launch an Arabic news channel on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

British broadcaster the BBC said on Monday it is launching an Arabic television news channel across the Middle East and North Africa to meet a growing demand for current affairs and debate in the Arab world.

The channel, BBC Arabic Television, will go on air at 1000 GMT on March 11 and be freely available to anyone with a satellite or cable connection, distributed via Arabsat, Eutelsat and Nilesat.

The channel will initially broadcast for 12 hours a day, but this will move to 24 hours a day in the summer, the BBC said.

The broadcaster said the channel would complement Arabic radio and online services it already offers.

"BBC Arabic is renowned for broadcasting impartial and accurate news and information which is strong on analysis and expertise," BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman said in a statement.

"This enhanced multimedia service meets the needs of an audience with a very strong appetite for news and debate. We will be contemporary in style; and independent and incisive in our journalism.”

BBC Arabic Television will include news headlines every 15 minutes and a full news summary every 30 minutes.

The channel will also feature news and current affairs programmes such as the twice-daily Newshour, which highlights news, analysis, key interviews and debate on the events from around the region and the rest of the world.

BBC Arabic Television presenters will include Rania Al Alattar, Fida Bassil, Tony El-Khoury, Dalia Mohamed, Osman Ayfarah, Hasan Muawad, Lina Musharbash and Dina Waqqaf.

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BBC Arabic
Posted by JA Soaileek, DXB, uAE on Sunday 16 March 2008 at 23:00 UAE time


BBC Arabic news channel was launched on March 11th and honestly speaking it is below average in terms of news coverage.I felt there is a huge gap between the TV news service in Arabic and even its radio sister.

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