BBC launches new Arabic language TV channel · 2008-03-12 16:30
The channel is free to everyone in North Africa and the Middle East with a satellite or cable connection.
It will distinguish itself from other state-funded channels by reporting "without fear or favour", BBC World Service director Nigel Chapman said.
This is the BBC's second attempt at an Arabic channel. The first closed in 1996 in the wake of an editorial dispute with its Saudi funders.
The channel enters a crowded market, dominated by the Qatar-based al-Jazeera and the Saudi-funded al-Arabiya channels.
Recent TV channels financed by Western governments have struggled to make an impact, including the US-backed al-Hurra channel in Iraq and France 24 in Arabic.
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