Annual Report On the Situation of Arab Satellite Broadcasting In and Outside the Arab Region For the Years 2007 and 2008

 

IMPORTANT   REMARK

The figures and statistics included in this report are approximative, because of the unavailability of accurate information sources in the field, and of the rapid changes witnessed by Arab satellite broadcasting.

Preliminary Reading of the Tables Relating to Arab Satellite Broadcasting for the years 2007 and 2008

1. Arab Satellite Broadcasting: A State of the Arts
      
1.1. Determination and Categorisation of the Number of Arab Satellite Channels

The number of Arab corporations transmitting satellite channels or re-transmitting satellite channels on their networks amounts to 250, divided as follows:
- 24 public corporations
- 226 private corporations.
These corporations broadcast about 520 multipurpose, multilingual channels:
- Around 130 channels with varied programmes, i.e. what is commonly known as general channels
- Around 390 specialised channels, fitting in the following categories:

Channel Categories	Private Sector	Public Sector	Approximate Number
General (varied,programmes)	90	41	131
Music / varieties	117	2	119
Cinema / Drama / Serials	55	3	58
Sports	40	11	51
Commercial / Economic / Shopping	24	1	25
News	23	3	26
Children	20	1	21
Cultural / Educational	13	10	23
Documentary	12	0	12
Interactive	11	0	11
Religious	10	3	13
Touristic	3	1	4

 

 

Arab satellite public channels table

Arab satellite private channels table

Languages of broadcasting table

 

Broadcasting geographical coverage table

 

 

1.2. Transmission System

Most channels use an open transmission system. Some of the channels’ transmission systems are open on some satellites, while others are encrypted when part of a package of channels

                                                                                            
1.3. Geographical Coverage 

- The transmission coverage of these channels concerns mainly the Arab region.
-  A great part of the channels cover large areas in Europe.
- The number of channels covering America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, South America and parts of Asia is on the rise.
- Most of these channels broadcast their programmes via ARABSAT and NILESAT.
- The rest broadcast their programmes on the following satellites:
EUROBIRD 1, NOORSAT , EUTELSAT II F3, EUTELSAT HOTBIRD, INTELSAT 701,  703,  705 NSS 806,  NSS 7,  HISPASAT 1C,  OPTUS 3,  TELESTAR 5, ASIASAT 2,  ASIASAT 35,  ORION, ECHOSTAR,  PANAMSAT PAS 4.2.3, TIACOM

1.4. Broadcasting Languages

Most of these channels broadcast their programmes in Arabic (around 70%). Some channels broadcast all their programmes in English and French, while others in some other languages (Spanish, Hindi, and Persian). A few channels broadcast part of their programmes in foreign languages, alongside with Arabic

                                                                                               
1.5.  Reception Methods of Satellite Transmission 

One of the questionnaire questions concerned the rate of households equipped with individual satellite dishes in the Arab countries.  Because of the lack of responses to that question, and due to the absence of any data source in this context, it has proved impossible to provide any relevant statistics