JEDDAH, 27 February 2005 — TV is an important way of keeping us entertained but for a lot of people not so long ago, TV wasn’t much of an option. We can all remember when the only entertainment outlet in the Kingdom was Saudi Channel 2. With its mystical attachment to Wild West movies and shows from the 1960s and 1970s, seeing someone sit down and actually enjoy the channel was a rare sight.
In January 2002 with the launch of what is known as MBC2, all that changed. The channel had to prove itself as MBC had been an all-Arabic channel and was jumping to the world of entertainment in English. Fortunately, however, the moment it was launched, it surpassed all expectations and rocked the entertainment industry with its 24/7 channel in English. MBC2’s motto “Feel it” soon caught on and now, three years after the launch, the success of the channel is phenomenal.
Known for its wide selection of movies — over 300 a month — and its great shows, it instantly became the major entertainment source throughout the Middle East as well as a major competitor in an industry dominated by pay channels. One of the best features of the channel was that it targeted people of all ages. Everything — cartoons, talk shows, award ceremonies, movies and even news — was on the channel. Arabic subtitles with almost every program also made it very popular with Arabic audiences.
Overwhelmed by the success of MBC2 and the increased rise in demand for more entertainment, MBC wasted no time and released two new mind-blowing channels, MBC3 and MBC4. With these, the channel was able to target far more people and offer a greater variety of entertainment.
MBC3, launched last month, can be called the “Cartoon Network of Arabia.” It targets children exclusively with a range of the latest and greatest. Educational shows and films aimed at children also have a lot of exposure on the channel.
MBC4, launched a month after MBC3, offers a much wider variety of shows than previously shown. Award-winning shows such as ER, 24, Oprah, Joe Millionaire, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Friends and Frasier are only a few of the shows available on the channel.
Another groundbreaking achievement is a contract with two of America’s biggest channels, ABC & CBS. The emphasis here is on the two channels’ news shows — 20/20, Primetime, Good Morning America, 48 Hours, 60 Minutes, World News Tonight and Nightline.
MBC2 itself has been revamped into the world’s very first 24/7 free-to-air movie channel. The enormous selection of movies on MBC2 has left audiences in shocked and delighted amazement.
Now fully redesigned with a movie channel (MBC2), a cartoon channel (MBC3) and an entertainment channel (MBC4), the MBC brand name has made a firm place for itself in the world of entertainment and also guaranteed itself a place in millions of homes.
In addition to MBC, there is another channel which has recently been in the spotlight — One TV, based in Dubai, entered the free-to-air market and poses MBC with some serious competition. Together the MBC trio and One TV have become the creme de la creme of Middle Eastern entertainment. With all this wonderful and never- ending entertainment, families across the Gulf and elsewhere are definitely feeling it!
