Rapid TV News

Euronews launches Arabic feed

Pascale Paoli Lebailly ©RapidTVNews | 13-07-2008

European news channel Euronews launched an Arabic feed on Saturday, following an internet premiere on Friday evening. 

The channel, which already broadcasts into seven languages is targeting several million potential viewers.

“We will address both to Arabic-speaking people in Europe, whose population is evaluated at 15 million, and to the Arabic region and its 250 million inhabitants,” Euronews’ President Philippe Cayla told press agency AFP.

Arabic programming will be the same as for the seven other languages, served by the same images. They will include a news edition every 30 minutes, magazines on society, culture, sport, business and its famous No Comment section.

Euronews wants to keep to its line of international news channel and thinks its competitors will be CNN and BBC more than Al-Jazeera or al-Arabiya.

While the channel’s budget amounts to €50 million, the Arabic version will be completely financed over the next five years by EC for a total amount of €5 million.

The channel will have 17 reporters of eight nationalities, all based in Lyon.