The future of TV in the Arab world

This is my (modest) opinion on the future of Arab TV in the Arab world.

The Arab TV landscape is rapidly changing, and within 5 years we will probably be facing the following scenario.

Two or three major media groups competing in the Free to Air (and probably entering the Pay TV) market. Currently Rotana and MBC are these two major groups.
Each will propose a number of TV channels to their viewers (general entertainment, sports, news, music etc...) thus combining advertising sales.

Three or four groups that will compete with lesser channels, but with one or two key TV programs. Media groups controlling Abu Dhabi TV and Dubai TV will be the leaders in this category.

To service these powerhouses, a concentration in production companies will probably follow. The Arab market can probably sustain 4 to 5 major groups. The financial of production companies are quite complicated, and in front of large clients (MBC vs Rotana for ex) only cash ready production houses will survice.

Media agency representatives will probably stop being the major players they are today in the TV landscape. Large groups such as MBC and Rotana will end up having their own internal media rep agencies (currently MBC is with CHoueiri group and Rotana has its inhouse Rotana Media Services) External agencies will continue to strive on the number of smaller channels and medium sized players.

Audience research (currently controlled by market leader Ipsos) will need to change. The large media groups will have mor epower than the Ipsos like companies. They might at one point decide to build their own joint research tool (or outsource it to companies such as Ipsos)
The future of the audience research will be to manage to combine out of home TV watching with in home traditional TV.

More integration is expected between Media and Telecom firms. Each might enter the market of the other (very long term) but eventually, Telecom firms are to media groups what supermarkets are to Coca Cola.

The competition continues

In light of the ongoing fight for TV supremacy in the Middle East, Rotana group announced the creation of a number of new channels:
- Aghani (music, specialized in Gulf music)
- a new fox channel (after fox movies) specialized in series

On the other hand, MBC - Rotana's competitor- is also launching a new channel in 2009 - a family channel.

Now all these are Free To Air, as advertising in the Middle East is expected to keep growing....that was before the recession and the drop in the price of oil. What will happen next, is probably even more competition, as the giants of the industry will probably start "eating" the medium sized players.

The Week in the press

*Tunisian pollster company : Sigma, published a survey on Tunisian TV watching during Ramadan (prime time)

Tunisian TV Channel 1 (Government TV): 46%
Hanibaal TV (Private TV): 22%
Tunisian TV Channel 2 (Government TV): 21%
Others (Arab channels): 11%

* Jordan Children channel launched its new website

*Syrian banned Al Hayat newspaper (Al Hayat is based in London, but is Saudi owned)

Various snapshots

• Elaph website interviewed Gabriel El Murr on the subject of the reopening of Lebanon's MTV (see related post) GM denied that the channel was financed by the Lebanese Forces (political party) and said that Qatari funds were sponsoring the channel.

• The Yemeni Embassy in the UAE objected to the broadcasting of the comic series "Hayer tayyer" on Dubai TV, as various sketches made fun of yemenites living in the UAE

• After calling for the murder of Mickey Mouse, cleric Mohammed Mounjed Assbah is now becoming a worldwide star. Western press has focused on this fatwa with various specialized websites and talk shows discussing this latest assault on western culture. Another Saudi cleric issued a counter Fatwa, saying that "murdering Mickey Mouse is stupid and pictures muslims as criminals and ignorant people"

Fatwa on TVs

Saudi Arabia's top judiciary official has issued a religious decree saying it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV networks that broadcast immoral content, reported AP. Sheik Saleh al-Lihedan that satellite channels cause the 'deviance of thousands of people'. Al-Lihedan, who is chief of the kingdom's highest tribunal - the Supreme Judiciary Council- did did not specify any particular channels.

(from AME Info)

MTV's Ramadan

MTV Arabia announced that it will not broadcast music video clips during the holy month of Ramadan, as it might offend its most religious viewers.

The channel will nevertheless keep its Reality TV programs on air. So from MTV's perspective video clips can be offensive but Reality TV programs are cool...funny considering that there are more fatwas issued against Real TV than against video clips...

This is by the way MTV Arabia's first Ramadan.

On Syria's Latest TV Channel

"New Syria TV" started broadcasting this week....
Owned by Abdel Halim Khaddam (former Syrian Vice President, now in exile in France) the channel will broadcast on European Hotbird (probably banned by Arabsat, of which Syria is a member, and NileSat, owned by Egyptian Government)

This is the second Syrian TV channel owned by opponant sto the regime:
ANN (Arab News Network) is owned by Syria's president's fallen out uncle (Rifaat Al Assad). ANN broadcasts from London

and now New SYria TV.

It is interesting to note that both channels are owned by people who at one time where very close to teh ruling Assad family.