Sawiris-owned TV channel launches today CAIRO: Business tycoon Naguib Sawiris s much talked-about satellite TV channel OTV launches today on Nile Sat in a major step forward by the Egyptian billionaire to create the biggest media conglomerate in the country. This is not Sawiris first endeavor in the broadcast arena - the Egyptian mogul owns the Iraqi terrestrial channel Nahrain and sponsors the well-known CNN program Inside the Middle East. Sawiris, along with chief executive of the station Abdullah T. Bakr and programming director Yasmine Abdallah, revealed full details - for the first time - about the channel at a press conference held Monday at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel. The idea of starting a TV station began as a fleeting thought in the mind of Sawiris who believed that Egyptians and Arabs in general face lots of problems they blame other nations for without doing anything about them, Bakr said. Sawiris believed that media, more than any other field, is the real catalyst for change in any society. Egypt is no exception. Now we basically only have local TV stations, Dream TV and Mehwar, whereas a small country like Lebanon possesses more than 30 channels, he said. I felt now s the right time to establish an Egyptian station especially after the economic progress the country has achieved within the past few years that made the project possible. OTV is primarily targeting teenagers from age 15 and above. It will not broadcast any material for children and is not intending to become another general Egyptian station. The O doesn t stand for Orascom telecom as nearly everyone assumed it did. It doesn t stand for anything, said Sawiris. It can be whatever viewers want it to be. The channel s promotional trailer, screened at the press conference, left most attendees with mixed feelings. The high production quality of the promo, which included clippings from the new channel s original programs, was impressive, but hardly innovative. (It s difficult to command the respect of media professionals if one of your main programming features is Paris Hilton s The Simple Life ). The station will include the usual dose of American entertainment dramas ( 24 & Alias ); reality shows (the aforementioned Simple Life and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ); concerts (The Pussycat Dolls) and a mediocre, uninspired selection of popular American movies ( Don t Say a Word, Life or Something Like It and Autumn in New York ). Egyptian programs appeared to be a mixed bag. A heavily featured talk show called One Hour with Samir Ghanem presented by the veteran comedian seems to be no different from the dozens of celebrity talk shows cramming the Arabic satellite TV; while another teen program called Shaghal (It s Working) borrows ideas from similar shows on Dream TV and even Nile TV. Other local programs include Connect, a technology show in the same vein as CNN s Click; a blithe social-commentary program called Yeba a Enta Akeed Fi Masr (Then You re Indeed in Egypt); a sports show about Egyptian football players abroad; a daily magazine show called Yes ad Messa k Sokr Zeyada (A Very Good Evening to You) which seems promising; and an original social comedy talk show with a set located in unusual places around the country; and finally the customary pick of recent Arabic films. The highlights of the station so far, however, are the Egyptian documentaries OTV is planning to air. At long last, a large audience will get the chance to watch truly remarkable works like A Place Called Home, Legend of Rose Al Youssef and Guys and Girls. With a capital of $17 million (LE 96.8 million) the channel is operated by an entirely young crew composed mainly of Egyptians. Sawiris is also the sole owner of the station. Yet some details disclosed about OTV seemed contradictory. Since the channel targets Egyptian youth, the majority of programs will be entertainment oriented. Even the "serious content, according to Sawiris, will be approached lightheartedly without dwelling on subjects related to either politics or religion that gets one into trouble as he described it. Nevertheless, Sawiris insisted that OTV will feature programs that discuss hot issues such as a forthcoming collaborative political show with Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper. This will be a daily news bulletin anchored - for the first time in Arab broadcasting history - in colloquial Arabic covering a diverse selection of events every day. Sawiris also added that these programs will adopt a sarcastic tone (similar in spirit to American talk shows) to critique social ills without boundaries. Furthermore, OTV will be streamed online via the Sawiris owned Internet provider LINKdotNET and a deal is being negotiated with the Showtime cable network to incorporate the station into their bouquets. Noteworthy is the fact that American films aired on OTV will not be censored. It is known that Nile Sat channels prohibit any material containing sex or nudity and so Sawiris announcement was received with raised eyebrows by many attendees. OTV will start its broadcasting today at 6.30 pm at frequency 3/4 on Nile Sat. Initial broadcasting is to last for seven and a half hours with one live show. Broadcasting hours will be expanded in the upcoming few months and the number of live talk shows will reach four by the beginning of March.
