Media

UAE advertising at AED4.7bn

Advertising expenditure in the UAE during 2007 increased to AED4.7 billion, asserted Jamal Al Sharif, Director of Dubai Studio City. He explained that this illustrates the extent of the thriving local advertising industry, which in turn spurs demand for more production and content services.

NoozzVIEW; BBC launches Arabic TV channel

The BBC took a government-funded £30m gamble on March 11 when it launched a satellite TV channel that will broadcast in Arabic.

The project was originally announced as far back as October 2005. To many in the broadcasting industry, this month’s launch into the already crowded Arab air waves will be a reminder of the last BBC Arabic TV project, which collapsed in 2004 when clashes between the broadcasters and their Saudi backers over editorial coverage proved irreconcilable.