(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The two-year old Alaraby TV Network has gone live from its new state-of-the-art headquarters in north west London.
This is an impressive new facility where eight live shows are beamed out daily with staff using the very latest broadcasttechnology.
Abbas Nasser, channel director, Alaraby, spoke to Gulf Times about the vision for the network.
Nasser, a Lebanese journalist and veteran war reporter, said the station has its own unique character a blend of news and entertainment - which aims to be the voice of the man on the street.
'We don't look like any other channel. We are against terrorism, radical Islamic parties and dictatorships we are with the vision of the Arab Spring. We believe in common, human values. We support the rights of women and the rights ofminorities, he said.
He added that the content respected the cultural values of its viewers.
Asked how the editorial line of Alaraby compares to Al Jazeera, the 20-year veteran of the airwaves said the latter cannot not be compared with the relative newcomer.
However, having formerly worked for Al Jazeera, he said one notable difference was that Alaraby had more extensive and superior facilities but its blend of news and entertainment gave it a completely different look and tone.
Regarding the clampdown and criticisms of Al Jazeera by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Nasser said that Alaraby supported the network's right to broadcast because it believes in freedom of expression.
Asked if Alaraby supported the Muslim Brotherhood, he said that it was not so much a case of supporting any particular political party per se but in respecting the rights of political parties to express their views, respecting the results of elections and the voice of the people.
It is notable that Alaraby's biggest audience is based in Egypt even though the Channel is not officially permitted to broadcast in the country.
Nasser who is used to covering tough issues from covering wars in Lebanon and Gaza has boosted Alaraby's news content from four to six bulletins daily alongside analysis and investigative reports. When a breaking news story happens the news team can gear up quickly to provide comprehensive, sustained coverage where needed.
Alaraby, a pan-Arab network, can be viewed across the Mena region as well as Europe, the US and Canada. The station has big ambitions and the new permanent headquarters in London testifies to its commitment to becoming a global, household name.
The multi-faith staff includes big names such as Leila al-Shayeb, presenter of Taqdeer Mawqef, Doha; Malik Treki, presenter of Fushat Fikr, London; Ali Alsanad presenter of Khaleej Alarab; and Bilal Fadi, presenter of Aseer Al-Kutob, New York.
Yusuf Elsaadi, creative director at Alaraby, said there was a focus on giving opportunities to top talent to develop their creative ideas in an environment with a focus on transparency. He sees the facility as a wide reaching platform for developing and shaping their ideas. All the sets have been built from scratch and the LED walls reflect constantly changing images. The work space can accommodate up to 200 staff who work in shifts covering the 24 hour output. All staff members are highly trained in using the producer friendly technology.
Looking around the open plan studios there was a sense of real energy and drive in the building. Nasser recognises that moving into the new facility is giving the staff a fresh motivation and pride in the station. 'It's like when you move from a rented home to your own property there's a different level of commitment, he said.
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