The Dubai-based Urdu television channel, ARY Digital Network, is set to launch its new family entertainment channel dedicated to Asian expatriates in the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East.
The channel named 'ARY Digital-Middle East will start transmission on August 20 with live coverage of the cricket series between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The new channel will present a mixture of programmes shown on ARY India and Pakistan, and will incorporate programmes specifically prepared for the Asian communities in the UAE and Middle East.
The network, which recently moved its operations from London to Dubai Media City, has also launched two other channels, 'ARY Digital-Just for India' exclusively for the Indian region, and The Musik, a 24-hour music channel shown throughout the network in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Salman Iqbal, Chief Executive Officer of the network, said the cricket coverage on ARY Digital is part of their commitment to provide viewers in the UAE and the Middle East with all forms of entertainment.
"We recently acquired exclusive rights in a deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board worth over $42 million to telecast cricket matches, and we are set to feature some of the most exciting cricket series and one day internationals for viewers in the UAE," he said.
The upcoming cricket series between Pakistan and India scheduled for February next year will also be shown exclusively on ARY Digital-Middle East provided both the countries agree to play the matches.
"Apart from cricket, the channel is also producing several entertainment and interactive programmes from its studios now located in Dubai Media City. We are the only Asian television network that produces contents from within the Middle East region," said Iqbal.
They are currently working on plans to launch a 24-hour global news channel 'ARY One World'. It will the first bilingual round-the-clock news channel from Dubai targeting Asian communities.
Iqbal said the network has established some 40 offices in different countries and has hired hundreds of correspondents for latest news coverage in English and Urdu. "Being a Dubai-based channel, we will especially concentrate on the Asian community in the region. We will also cover all local events, happenings and interviews."
Most of the live programmes, interviews and interactive programmes will be telecast from their three live studios in Dubai. They also have studios in London and Pakistan.
"We want to provide a medium of complete entertainment to more than one billion people in Asia who are in search of a unique a family entertainment channel."
They are now working on new plans to prepare special programmes targeting community members in the UAE. "The need to start the new television channels was felt because of the strong influx of channels that bombarded us with alien culture contrary to our ideology and whose extent of coverage tends to weaken our morals."
The main objective of ARY television is to entertain viewers in all aspects of the programming sphere including recreational, educational, sports, and provide impartial news from around the world especially relating to Asia and the Middle East.
Gulf News