France 24 is set to launch its first Arabic-language news channel today, in a move to offer an objective outlook at world events from a French perspective, the network announced yesterday.
The new international news television channel comes only four months after the launch of the company’s French and English stations.
“The concept of a French TV news channel in different languages was actually born after thorough research was conducted that showed there were both a real need in presenting a different perspective on world news and addressing the outside world in their own language,” said Alain De Pouzilhac, CEO of Franch 24.
The Arabic channel will cover world events but will focus on news, economics, culture and arts, sports, and world weather forecasts.
It will be distributed through digital broadcast on satellites covering the Middle East and North Africa region, with hopes of extending to worldwide coverage.
Targeting an audience of ‘opinion leaders’, the network aims to win the trust of its Arab viewers by striving to be “an independent news channel with an objective overview of all conflicts,” according to Franch 24’s Sophie Claudet.
France 24 – the first French international news channel to broadcast on a 24/7 basis – will also be accessible on the internet in all three languages where live broadcast can be watched on its website
www.france24.com
soon.
The Arabic broadcast will initially be four hours daily starting 4:00pm Paris time and will gradually be stepped up to eight hours, 12 hours, and ultimately 24 hours a day.
France 24’s move comes as
BBC Arabic TV announced a comeback
to the Middle East yesterday. The British network said it hopes to fill the gap left by the region’s limited number of news and information channels.
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