BSkyB to Launch Arabic News Channel

LONDON: The British pay-TV giant BSkyB is set to launch a free-to-air Sky News-branded Arabic-language news channel in the Middle East and North Africa in 2012, in a 50-50 partnership with the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp.

Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp. (Admic) is a private investment company owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the owner of the Manchester City football club.

Based in Abu Dhabi, the new company will operate under the Sky News brand and provide 24-hour rolling news. The Sky News Arabic service will have 180 journalists, with bureaus in both the Middle East and North Africa. Adrian Wells, previously Sky News’ head of international news, has been appointed to work with the Admic team to launch the new channel. A director of news will be appointed in due course to lead the venture on a permanent basis.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the chairman of Admic and of the new venture, said: “The new channel will be an important, independent voice for the Arab world, providing accurate and in-depth reporting of all the interesting developments in the region. We intend to set a new standard for broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa by combining the best practice, expertise and reputation for impartiality of global news leader Sky News with our regional knowledge and the world class infrastructure offered by Abu Dhabi and the twofour54 media zone.

“Abu Dhabi is seeing the growth of several sectors that are contributing to the economic diversification and human capital development of the Emirate. The addition of Sky News in Arabic to the numerous Abu Dhabi based media outlets will further contribute to this sector’s growth and position Abu Dhabi as the region’s media hub."

Jeremy Darroch, the chief executive of BSkyB, added: “Sky News is already one of the world’s leading news services and now we‘re looking forward to bringing a new voice to Arabic audiences. The Middle East and North Africa is undergoing rapid development and our partnership with ADMIC means we are able to enter this dynamic marketplace with the support and expertise of a strong local partner.”

John Ryley, the head of Sky News, commented: “This venture is a significant step in the development of Sky News. We intend to bring viewers a distinctive approach to Arabic news, building on Sky News’ strong reputation for independent, impartial and innovative coverage.”

James Murdoch, the chairman of BSkyB, remarked: “The Middle East and North Africa is a highly attractive region for media investment and Abu Dhabi is an excellent location from which to enter this exciting marketplace.”