EuroNews is to launch a soundtrack in the Arabic language after the news channel won a tender to produce and broadcast programming in Arabic 24-hours-a-day. An agreement was signed in Brussels on December 6 and will be officially launched during 2008.
Arabic will become the eighth language to be introduced by the channel after English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. It will be broadcast across EuroNews entire network of 35 satellites.
Philippe Cayla, chairman & CEO of EuroNews, said the launch represented an important milestone in EuroNews’ multi-language strategy. “In Europe, the fact that EuroNews is available in Arabic will definitely help Arabic-speaking populations to better understand the framework of European policies and the issues at stake. In the Mediterranean basin, and in the Arabic-speaking world in general, where EuroNews already has a substantial audience for its English and French versions, the channel will be able to grow its audience very significantly and become the standard-setting international news channel.”
Arabic is becoming an important element for news channels with the BBC shortly launching its own Arabic TV service, backed by a £70 million grant from the foreign office.
