Deutsche Welle opening three-hour Arabic TV slot on Nilesat

On 1 August 2002 the German international broadcaster DW-TV will open a three-hour Arabic language programme slot on the satellite Nilesat. Starting daily at 19:00 UTC viewers in over 20 nations, from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, can receive the news programme Journal as well as a half-hour magazine programme from DW-TV with Arabic subtitles. Arabic-dubbed documentaries and features will be broadcast starting at 20:00 UTC, followed at 21:00 UTC by another news and magazine block with Arabic subtitles.

"We want to better position ourselves in the Arabic-speaking world as the German voice from Europe. Furthermore, with its programme slot DW-TV will contribute to the dialogue with the Islamic world," said Director General of Deutsche Welle (DW), Erik Bettermann, at the presentation of the programme slot in Berlin on 23 July 2002.

According to the operator, the free-to-air digital signal on Nilesat 101 has a technical reach of over 10 million households. The footprint of the Nilesat satellite family (101 and 102) spreads from Morocco to Egypt and covers major areas of Mali, Niger, Chad and the Sudan in addition to the entire Arabian Peninsula and the nations of the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe. Satellite dishes with diameters of 60 to 90 centimetres are sufficient for direct reception.

"DW is the only German broadcaster on Nilesat. The fact that we now have the additional ability to provide viewers with a programme slot in their own language is due to the in all respects professional support of Nilesat," stated Erik Bettermann with regard to the operator. DW-RADIO already broadcasts programmes in German, English and Arabic via the satellite Nilesat 101.

Nilesat 101 - Technical data:
Satellite: 353.0° east
Frequency: 11,900 MHz
Polarisation: vertical
Symbol rate: 27,500
FEC: 3/4

Cologne, 23 July 2002
110/02