Mahmoud Bouneb

Supported by the Qatar Foundation, Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) is the Arab world’s first dedicated offering for kids. Since its launch in 2005, however, JCC has worked hard to expand outside of its regional borders. With a mix of original productions and acquired fare, JCC has been bringing its mission of educating kids aged 7 to 14 with entertaining content to territories outside the Middle East. JCC also expanded its target base with the launch last year of Baraem TV, a preschool service. Mahmoud Bouneb, the executive general manager of JCC, recently spoke to TV Kids about his aspirations for the two channels.

TV KIDS: At MIPCOM you unveiled JCC’s first co-production with Malaysia’s Multimedia Develop­ment Corporation (MDeC). Why is the Saladin animated series important for JCC?
BOUNEB: We put our know-how, our efforts together…for the first Malaysian co-production of its kind and the first JCC production of its kind and also the first production between two Islamic countries for the Muslim world with a Muslim hero. It was very challenging to work on this project, and now that it is coming to the world we hope that it will find the success that matches our ambitions.

TV KIDS: How do you think the story will translate to people outside of the Islamic world?
BOUNEB: We tried to be as universal as possible, without cheating history, but also let’s not forget that our Saladin is closer to Aladdin and not [the real] Saladin. What we have today has no historical accuracy. It’s Saladin as a young man, living with his friends, traveling; we don’t have a political story, we don’t have a religious story, we don’t have a dogmatic story. We have an adventure story from the 12th century.

TV KIDS: What kinds of other international partnerships are you pursuing?
BOUNEB: We are on our sixth or seventh co-production. We are co-producing with NHK, with the private sector in England, [with companies in] Canada. We co-produce documentaries, science magazines, animation. We are open to new ideas, we are open to innovation.

TV KIDS: What growth opportunities do you see for expanding the reach of JCC?
BOUNEB: We are considered a reference in the children’s television industry in the Arab world. You cannot do things in children’s television in the Arab world today without referring to Al Jazeera Children’s Channel. Al Jazeera Children’s produces about 60 percent of what it broadcasts. On the other [hand], we have limitations—maybe not in our ambition, but in our financial means, in our distribution. We are a free-to-air channel and we are going to remain as a free-to-air channel. Today our footprint is Europe and the Arab world. We are thinking about a feed to cover North America. And we are trying to bring Baraem [to the international market].

TV KIDS: You mentioned Europe and North America. What about Asia?
BOUNEB: Asia, for me and for Al Jazeera, is a top priority, either Muslim or non-Muslim [countries]. Both JCC and Baraem can have a feed either in English or in the local language. There are similarities between the Arab world and some Asian nations, like Malaysia, Indonesia, even Singapore, plus India, Pakistan and others.

TV KIDS: What are some of your other priorities for 2010?
BOUNEB: To produce international animated movies. We are open to co-productions for movies, documentaries, animation. [We want to do more] learning programs. We have a co-production now with NHK on a science magazine. The main challenge for channels like ours is to be a value-add for the schools and for the school curriculum.

TV KIDS: What’s the key to successful co-productions with different countries and different cultures?
BOUNEB: [That is] at the heart of our spirit. We didn’t launch Al Jazeera to only be a pan-Arabic channel targeting Arabic children. Al Jazeera Children’s Channel was launched from the beginning to be an international player in the production of content for children and families. Thanks to the support from the state of Qatar and the Qatar Foundation, we have a credible name today on the international market for making content for children and families.