AMMAN (JT) -- Sixteen satellite channels are currently broadcasting from the Jordan Media City (JMC) in Amman, a company official said.
Company Deputy Director Firial Hares said four Arab Radio and Television (ART) sports channels, Iqraa and 11 other commercial channels such as Nourmena, Smart Way, Al Majd and Addeyar are now making use of JMC's facilities in southeastern Amman.
JMC, which operates a large production and uplink centre in Amman, was established in 2001 as a private free zone by Sheikh Saleh Kamel's Dallah Media Production Company. The media city's main client is the sheikh's own ART network, which is in the process of moving its transmissions from Italy to the Kingdom.
"The second phase will be completed by the end of this year with the transmission of 45 channels, including the entire ART broadcasts, from Amman," Hares told The Jordan Times.
The move from Avezzano in Italy, which ART initially considered a major production centre, to Amman would result in a 60 per cent cut in the operational costs. "We expect to save on uplink/downlink expenses and labour wages," Hares said.
She added that the Kingdom was a desirable location for other reasons: Its central location in the region, political stability and the attractive exemptions on corporate taxes, especially for exported services and products.
Another important factor was the country's human resources. JMC Company has hired around 100 Jordanian experts in the telecommunications, IT and computer engineering fields since it started. "Homegrown talents in the field of communication was one of the major reasons we chose Jordan over other Arab countries," Hares explained.
ART was the first bouquet in the Middle East to introduce the concept of media specialisation.
"ART thematic channels, launched in 1993, are the first channels designed to serve the needs of all members of the Arab family," said Jamil Shatat, marketing manager of ART Jordan.
Twelve basic channels are available to Arab viewers across the globe, he said, adding that some ART channels are encrypted and available to subscribers only, while others are free to all.
An ART official told The Jordan Times that more channels are being moved to Amman, the station would need more space and is thus seeking an expansion of the JMC.
The media city is situated on an area of 18,000 square metres in Om El Heiran, east of Amman. The complex, which is the old Jordanian Radio and TV building, underwent a $1.5 million overhaul since the inauguration of the company.
The renovation took 10 months, and included the installation of new digital equipment, like cameras and edit suites. "Since then we have been receiving satellite packages such as Star and ZEE, uplinking them on the NileSat, and producing shows for Iqraa and ARTeens, " Hares added.
The $22 million JMC project, established in response to calls by His Majesty King Abdullah for encouraging investments in the media sector, is granted space frequencies, an open transmission licence, and a totally tax-free operating zone to help attract investors.
© Jordan Times 2004
