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"With or without war against Iraq, our Arab region is undergoing and expecting a lot of developments, part of the new world that is being shaped since Sept
"We are not going to incite people's political instincts," he said
"Al-Arabiya has nothing to do with any government at all, and won't have in the future," he said Its five-year, $300 million budget will come from private investors in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates
11," said Qalab, a former Jordanian information minister
Al-Jazeera's candid reporting and freewheeling, often combative talk and public affairs shows have drawn audiences eager for an alternative to the staid, censored reporting of the state-owned stations that dominate in the Arab world
Al-Arabiya will gather news from Middle East Broadcasting Center's existing staff around the world, Qalab said -Iraq war New Arab News Channel to Go on Air
Feb 18, 10:00 AM EST
An all-news, Arab satellite TV channel will begin airing this week, hoping to catch the attention of viewers hungry for information about a possible U The Dubai-based production company also runs the Middle East Broadcasting Center, which is owned by the brother-in-law of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd
Although Al-Jazeera is financed by Qatar's government, the station insists it operates with editorial independence
Al-Arabiya is a new venture of Middle East News
Al-Arabiya will be the newest competition for heavyweight Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based channel that was the first all-news Arabic station to go on air when it debuted in November 1996 "We are going to address their brains, because we believe that the Arab citizen, after the experience of many satellite channels, is in need of calm words S "
Al-Arabiya, or The Arabic, will start with 12 hours of news and news-oriented programs on Thursday, before going on air round the clock on March 3, station director Saleh Qalab said
Qalab said Al-Arabiya would emulate and even better Al-Jazeera's independence, but not its sometimes provocative style |