Alhurra Targets European Expansion

SPRINGFIELD, July 25: The U.S.-backed Middle Eastern news
network Alhurra is set to launch in Europe on August 1.

Alhurra Europe will be
distributed on the Eutelsat Hotbird 3 satellite system, featuring a mix of
coverage of regional and international events, as well as discussion programs,
current affairs magazines and features on a variety of subjects. "We are
very excited about bringing Alhurra's brand of comprehensive and accurate news
and information to Arabic speakers throughout Europe,” said Joaquin Blaya, the
chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governor's (BBG) Middle East Committee,
which oversees the channel. “This is a very important audience who should have
an alternative to the current main sources of Arabic-language TV news in
Europe: Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. This is not a sprint, but a marathon as we
continue to grow and become a voice of objective news to Arabic speaking
viewers in the Middle East and Europe."

Alhurra currently reaches 22
countries in the Middle East. It claims a weekly audience of more than 20
million people.