Things really are changing in the Middle East! Sometimes it is hard to keep up with the developments!
Here is some great news from the Middle East via Freedom for Egyptians blog and Middle Eastern Broadcasting Networks, Inc.…
Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa are now reaching a total unduplicated audience of 35 million adults (15 and over) per week according to the latest ACNielsen survey released today. This represents the fourth consecutive audience increase since the inception of the ACNielsen surveys of the stations. The latest survey also shows that in spite of high levels of anti-American sentiment throughout the region, both Alhurra and Radio Sawa are regarded as credible sources of news and information by their audiences.
According to ACNielsen, Alhurra the satellite television station reaching 22 countries in the Middle East has an adult audience of 21.3 million each week in just the nine countries surveyed. ACNielsen also reported that Radio Sawa, the Arabic-language radio network broadcasting music and news, has a weekly audience of 20.8 million adults.
The survey reported that news on Alhurra and Radio Sawa was a powerful programming factor for their audiences. Seventy-seven percent of the Alhurra audience said they were interested in watching Alhurra for the news. Radio Sawa listeners in the broadcaster’s key markets ranked the station as one of their top two choices for radio news and information.
Alhurra and Radio Sawa also scored well in news reliability. The ACNielsen survey reported that 77 percent of Alhurra’s viewers and 73 percent of Radio Sawa’s listeners consider the news reliable. Compared to the ACNielsen surveys a year ago, news credibility for Alhurra took major jumps in three key markets: in Egypt 70 percent to 92 percent, in Jordan from 46 percent to 68 percent, and in Lebanon from 53 percent to 79 percent.
“Since their inception, Sawa and Alhurra have shown that you can reach the masses in numbers that were unimaginable for U.S. International Broadcasting prior to their creation, while not sacrificing news reliability or access to elites,” stated Norman J. Pattiz, Chairman on the Middle East Committee of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
This is “great news” for the United States, as well! You know that it has not been an easy road for these two stations. The fact that the US is “building trust” among the people in the Middle East speaks volumes to the great job that these two stations are doing.
Congratulations to Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa !
