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Arab World’s CNN – the sequel

A new satellite TV station was launched yesterday. Its name: Al-‘Arabiyya. Its goal: fighting Al-Jazeera TV for control over the news market in the Arab world. The station, with a $300 million budget and more than 500 reporters and technicians, is owned by Saudi London-based MBC TV station, as well as by Kuwaiti and Lebanese investors.

This is based on an article printed yesterday in the London-based daily, A-Sharq Al-Awsat.

“An Arab CNN” is the informal title given to Al-Jazeera TV network, broadcasting from Qatar. Al-Jazeera is the number one TV station in the Arab world, broadcasting news 24 hours a day. According to Kris Forester, a specialist on Arab media, Al-‘Arabiyya will face difficulties in winning viewers from Al-Jazeera, although the reputation of MBC’s objective coverage would give it an advantage.

“Al-‘Arabiyya will eventually win the race against Al-Jazeera,” says Forester, “because the latter rested on its laurels and early successes, while the former built itself during the past year.” Al-’Arabiyya will broadcast from 31 stations around the world, using well-known figures in the Arab world’s news market, including Palestinian media star Hasan Maou’d. Maou’d used to be head of the political programs in the Arab section of the BBC before he joined MBC. Now he will become the anchor of the main news edition of Al-‘Arabiyya. Rumors suggest key members of Al-Jazeera have defected and joined the new station. The management board includes a former Jordanian information minister, well known for his professional boldness.

An article concerning Al-Jazeera’s role in the Arab world, as well as in the West, will soon be published on this site.