25 October, 2005 - Published 12:03 GMT
BBC World Service 2010: Arabic television
This is an attempt to answer just some questions that may be raised by the proposal to launch a publicly funded international television service in Arabic.
Why are we launching an Arabic television service?
It is clear that if the BBC wishes to build World Service reach and impact in the Middle East, it must be present on television in Arabic.
We have carried out extensive research across the Arab world. Two clear lessons emerge from this work. First, satellite television is a key news source for most people living in the Arab speaking world. Television is used as an information source and the place for discussion about ideas, views and comment.
Radio continues to be used in the mornings, but its popularity during the day, and particularly in the evenings is limited, apart from countries where television is not available.
All of our research in key capital cities in the Middle East in 2003 and repeated in 2005 show demand for a BBC Arabic channel is increasing. In seven Arab capitals a range of between 80–90% of those surveyed said they would be "very likely" or "fairly likely" to use a BBC Arabic television service, with about half in the "very likely" group. This has remained consistently high over the past two years, and, in some areas, demand has solidified in the intervening period.
The trusted nature of the brand – its independence and strong record in news coverage – is cited by most potential users as the reason for their strong interest in a BBC Arabic television station.
We would assess the impact of the channel in terms of reach, reputation and editorial quality regularly, as we do with all our services, to ensure its continued success.
What are the criteria for the success of Arabic television?
It would have a significant impact in terms of 'reach'. We want to reach people who consume news and enjoy talking about it.
Our research shows that although online and radio reaches many of these people, some now only consume their news from television. Add to that the difficulties of distribution in some areas, such as North Africa where we do not have an FM presence and Egypt where our medium wave signal is poor. Television will make it possible to reach people we currently do not.
Five years after launch we aim for a significant share of the market with significant audiences among influential opinion formers and decision makers. High ratings would be expected for trust, objectivity, relevance and quality of news coverage - as well as for innovative and interactive programming - compared to other international television in the region.
BBC World is the BBC's international television broadcaster. Why does it not already fulfill this role?
BBC World has a significant impact in the region to English speakers. However, only 10 per cent of people in the Middle East speak a modest level of English. All of our research shows that a vernacular offer would have high impact.
Why is it not a commercial service?
All other major Arabic language channels have not had commercial success, unless a financial backer has agreed to support it. The funding of BBC World as a commercial operation, still on a path towards breaking even and eventual profitability, is unable to invest in such a venture at this time.
The stability of Grant-in-Aid funding, coupled with high BBC editorial standards, would ensure that BBC Arabic television will be seen, as is BBC Arabic radio, as a gold standard of objectively and impartiality against which to judge other more partisan offers. The BBC Arabic television channel will be a free-to-air service.
Will funding be taken from Arabic radio to fund Arabic TV?
The BBC Arabic radio was the first vernacular language service to be launched by the BBC in 1938. It has always been a senior service in terms of geopolitical importance, hours broadcast and the level of funding. In recent years, it has benefited from significant new investment to sustain its leading position in radio and online.
Initially it is not envisaged that money will be taken from BBC Arabic radio to fund the start up of BBC Arabic television, but we will need to look at the overall requirements of the Arabic Service as a whole as it matures, especially in relation to overall journalism and distribution costs.
Why are we launching this now?
The changing face of the media landscape makes it imperative that we launch a BBC Arabic television service so we can maintain and build impact.
We are building on strong foundations. The BBC's Arabic radio service is trusted and respected for its editorial independence, impartiality, objectivity and range of voices. Also, our Arabic language online service has rapidly developed a strong position. Together it has meant that the BBC has carved a special niche in the market place for its innovative, interactive programming. Therefore the BBC brand is already strong in the market place.
However, the media market has developed quickly recently, with television rapidly becoming the predominant news media in the Arabic world.
Our research strongly supports the notion that there is strong demand for a BBC Arabic television service – steeped in the values of the radio service which has broadcast for over 67 years.
The establishment of an Arabic television service would mean the BBC was the only media player with a genuine tri-media offer which will give us a unique advantage in the market place.
There is no question of the geopolitical importance of the region. It is accepted globally that the region is a primary source of a significant number of conflicts. There is a lack of free and independent media throughout the region.
Our research shows that audiences in the region have a greater appetite for news than anywhere else in the world and television is the dominant medium for news in the Middle East. Therefore, we believe that the need for a trusted, independent BBC Arabic television channel is greater than ever before.
Are we too late? Why didn't we try it before?
As many of you will know, we had a proposal for a Grant-in-Aid funded Arabic television service in the early 1990s.
However the Government of the day did not wish to support it financially. But they allowed the BBC to launch a commercial service. This was launched in July 1994 with funding from the Arab-owned Orbit Communications. To access the service, the audience had to purchase a $10,000 receiver. It broadcast for eight hours a day from Television Centre to the Middle East and Africa.
However Orbit pulled out its funding in April 1996 over editorial issues. The BBC was unable to compromise its editorial independence. The BBC was also unable to find a new commercial partner and the venture ceased. It was the first venture of its kind and proved there was a market for a pan-Middle East television channel. The idea has led to many other channels – in fact, many of those working for the BBC Arabic channel went onto to help launch Al-Jazeera and other channels in the region.
It has always been a strategic ambition to complement our radio and online services with a television offer with the same BBC editorial values. However the lessons of the past have taught us that commercial funding by a sole partner could compromise the operation's viability and threaten the BBC's editorial independence. Therefore this will be a publicly funded, free-to-air service which will be accessible to all using standard receiving equipment.
The geopolitical significance of the Middle East has increased, not diminished, in recent years and according to our research in the region, so has the appetite for a BBC Arabic television service.
We're experts in radio, why not commission BBC World or BBC News to run the channel?
Clearly this could be an option, particularly as BBC World is in the Global News Division and BBC News supplies us with news programmes already.
However BBC World Service already has experience of launching a BBC Arabic language channel and 67 years of experience in broadcasting to Arabic speaking audiences in the Middle East and Africa.
We feel that an integrated tri-media offer across radio, television and online can best be achieved through the editorial operation within the BBC Arabic service where we think there will be closer synergies for this particular project. But no doubt we shall be using the expertise of other parts of the BBC as we go along.
The service is planned to be funded through Grant-in-Aid. It makes sense for it to remain under BBC World Service control. Running this service through BBC World or BBC News could also introduce unnecessary complexities in keeping the separation within Fair Trading regulations between commercial funding, Grant-in-Aid and licence fee.
Further questions and answers
General queries