OIC to launch specialized TV channel in 3 languages

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Friday 23 Oct 2015 - 21:42 Makkah mean time-10-1-1437 (Image from Reuters) Jeddah, (IINA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has taken another step toward launching a new television channel, which aims at providing a positive change in the Islamic world, Arab news reported. OIC Secretary General Iyad Madani said: “The Islamic world today urgently needs to have a serious and meaningful television channel that would contribute to positive change and help Muslims achieve their goals”. OIC’s Communications Director Maha Akeel read out Madani's comments during a recent meeting of the ad hoc committee tasked with launching the channel at the organization’s headquarters in Jeddah. Madani said the new channel will broadcast across the world and that it will discuss issues affecting Muslims, create awareness of Islamic teachings, and encourage solidarity that would ensure action is taken on critical matters as defined in the OIC charter. He added that the current developments that are taking place in the Islamic world had motivated the OIC to improve its media capabilities, which would be used to “defend and clarify our mission, identity values, culture values and invest in what this nation has in terms of its immense human and natural resources”. The meeting discussed the draft of a feasibility study submitted by Lola New Horizon (Madrid), Media Research and Consultancy (Madrid) and Creative Media Solutions (Dubai). “We are now in the process of discussing the financial, legal and management aspects of the television channel”, said Akeel. “We will now be looking for partnerships with private investors and with those who have knowledge of the television industry”. According to Akeel, the channel is expected to launch within two years, and it will broadcast in English, Arabic and French, the three official languages of the OIC, noting that there will be a simultaneous broadcast on the internet for the channel. She pointed out that the channel would not be a 24-hour news channel. “We are not competing with CNN or BBC or other mainstream English or Arabic television channels. But we will definitely focus on the core issues of the Muslim world, such as that of Palestine”. AG/IINA