RIYADH: The number of free-to-air (FTA) satellite TV channels in the Arab world increased by 19.3 percent, reaching 642 channels by the end of the first quarter of the current year, compared with 538 channels in the same period last year, according to a report released by Arab Advisers Group’s Media Strategic Research Service.
The report, entitled “Satellite TV in the Arab World 2012”, said the number of fully launched and operational channels reached 565 channels by the end of last March, up from 501 in March 2011, the majority being privately owned.
The FTA satellite TV channels, targeting Arab countries, continued to grow as they increased by 542 percent from Jan. 2004 - March 2012, the report said.
The privately owned channels stood at 75 percent of total operating channels due to the liberalization of the audio-visual sectors in the region, the report said.
According to the report, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates host the highest number of TV channels in the Arab world. Egypt hosts 21.6 percent of the total FTA satellite TV channels, whereas Saudi Arabia hosts 14 percent of such channels.
Meanwhile, new research from the Arab Advisers Group said that advertising rates for a 30-second commercial spot had reached $3,299 by the end of this year’s first quarter, an increase of 5.6 percent over last year’s $3,125.
According to the report, the average peak ad rates of 38 FTA satellite TV channels were highest during the night time hours of 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. KSA.
News and Current Affairs channels have the highest average ad rates amongst FTA satellite TV channels in the Arab world. The peak average ad rates of these channels reached $5,460 between 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. KSA, according to the report.
