Shahid nearly doubles telecommunications operator partnerships in just 12 months

2 August 2022

Shahid nearly doubles telecommunications operator partnerships in just 12 months

Shahid – the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform (part of MBC GROUP) – has announced that it has nearly doubled its partnerships with telecommunications operators (telcos) in just one year. As a result, the number of user subscriptions for its premium offering, Shahid VIP purchased via mobile payment has more than doubled in just 12 months.

Since Shahid’s relaunch in 2020, the video on demand (VOD) and subscription video on demand (SVOD) platform has strengthened its distribution through telco partners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), jumping from 17 by the end of 2020 to over 30 in 2021.

During that time, Shahid has expanded into territories including Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, and Palestine, enabling direct carrier billing (DCB) for users to be able to purchase Shahid VIP via their mobile device rather than through a credit card, for example.

EXPANSION & MORE PARTNERSHIPS

DCB is just one of multiple methods users across the region can now enjoy Shahid VIP. For example, Shahid has also actively expanded its distribution through special bundles with telco partners in the region, including with Stc KSA, Zain KSA, Zain Kuwait, Stc Bahrain, Vodafone Egypt, Ooredoo Qatar, Asiacell Iraq, and Omantel. Here, customers of these operators can enjoy complimentary Shahid VIP as part of select mobile and broadband service plans.

Additionally, Shahid has launched an exclusive mobile plan, Shahid VIP Mobile, allowing better offerings for those using a prepaid mobile plan. A budget-friendly single-device package available across MENA, Shahid VIP Mobile is aimed at entertainment fans who prefer to only stream their content on the go. Available for either a single smartphone or tablet device, this special plan was first launched with an introductory two-month trial offer with Orange Morocco and Tunisia in Q4 of 2021, generating significant subscriber uptake. Building on the successful launch with Orange, Shahid VIP Mobile has gone on to already launch with seven operators and is planning more launches in the future in more markets. Multiple telecommunications companies have shown interest in this introductory package as a strong fit for their low Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) subscriber segment.

Natasha Matos-Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, Shahid commented: “We’re delighted with our telco partnerships so far, and we will continue to create more exciting partnerships to bring Shahid VIP’s outstanding content to more viewers across the region. To have more than doubled our Shahid VIP subscribers in 12 months via DCB alone is phenomenal.

“Thanks to the significant efforts made by the team and our partners, Shahid has launched new and relevant partnerships in key markets that allow users to access Shahid VIP in more ways. This is significant because we want our users to be able to choose from a number of payment methods based on their needs, such as the ease of subscribing through their telecommunications operator.

She continued: “As mobile networks strengthen and speeds get faster than ever in the MENA region, it also makes sense for us to expand on our exclusive Shahid VIP Mobile. Many consumers want an affordable way to watch premium content on the go, and we’ve met that need.”

MBC GROUP is the largest and leading media company in MENA.

[Source: MBC press release]

NHK WORLD Monthly Focus: Idealism+AI=Utopia?

1 August 2022

NHK WORLD Monthly Focus: Idealism+AI=Utopia?

Teen Regime Imagine a Japan facing deep stagnation. The government launches the experimental Utopi-AI to revitalize the nation. This involves using artificial intelligence to select new leaders. The AI’s pick is a boy of 17 who heads a leadership team of other youngsters. The aim is to combine the idealism of youth and the wisdom of the past provided by the AI. With an original screenplay by Yoshida Reiko, creator of many hit anime, Utopi-AI offers a bold vision of the future. August 21 Sun. Ep.1 August 28 Sun. Ep.2 Subtitled 0:10/12:10 Dubbed 6:10/18:10 (UTC)
Artists Against War Morimura Yasumasa, a contemporary artist who has drawn praise in Japan and abroad, is known for self-portraits in which he poses as well-known figures from history and paintings. In this episode of Artists Against War, we take a look at Morimura’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Will he use Putin as a starting point for a future work? Join us as we hear his incisive views on how artists should respond to recent events. August 3 Wed. 1:30/6:30/12:30/17:30/22:30 (UTC)
Daily Life in Times of War What was life like during World War II? What can we learn from the survivors? Through interviews, animation and games, young people are trying to preserve their stories for future generations. August 6 Sat. 0:10/6:10/12:10/18:10 (UTC)
Sharing the Future Creating the future together. Inspiring stories of projects by Japanese people working with communities in developing countries with new ideas and efforts to help solve issues. August 3 Wed. 2:30/7:30/13:30/19:30 (UTC)

[Source: NHK WORLD press release]

France 24’s Sarah Morris named “best foreign correspondent in Spain”

25 July 2022

France 24’s Sarah Morris named “best foreign correspondent in Spain”

France 24’s correspondent Sarah Morris has been named “best foreign correspondent in Spain” by the International Press Club (Club Internacional de Prensa) for the quality and depth of her coverage of the latest news in the country. The award ceremony will take place on September 22^nd in Madrid.

Each year, the International Press Club (Club Internacional de Prensa) of Spain, chaired by Javier Fernandez Arribas, rewards the work of Spanish journalists and correspondents.

[Source: FMM press release]

Veteran Journalist James O’Shea Named MBN Board Chair

12 July 2022

Veteran Journalist James O’Shea Named MBN Board Chair

The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) announced that James O’Shea would serve as the Chair of MBN’s board of directors. O’Shea was editor and executive vice president of the Los Angeles Times and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, where he spent many years overseeing the Tribune’s foreign news staff. He is succeeding Amb. Karen Kornbluh, who stepped down from the board in June.

“Jim has a wealth of journalistic experience, and MBN will benefit from his knowledge and guidance,” stated MBN Acting President Hassan Shwiki. “We are extremely fortunate to work with him as MBN advances its digital-first programming strategy and continue to provide accurate and objecting news to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa on the platforms they use.”

“MBN serves the vital mission of reporting on topics not covered in the Arabic press, as well as news about America and the American people,” stated O’Shea. “This is a very talented and dedicated team, and I am grateful to serve as their board chair. I also wish to express my appreciation for Karen Kornbluh’s wonderful work as chair of MBN’s board.”

In addition to his work at the Times and Tribune, O’Shea is the author of three books including “The Deal From Hell,” a narrative about the merger of Times Mirror and the Tribune companies. He co-founded the Chicago News Cooperative, a digital news start-up that produced Chicago news pages twice a week for The New York Times. O’Shea was also the Howard R. March Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Michigan for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Other members of MBN’s board include Amb. Ryan Crocker, Michael Kempner, Amb. Susan Ziadeh and Timothy McNulty.

About Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN)

Launched in 2004, MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by U.S. government through a grant from US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency. The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.

MBN is an Arabic-language multimedia organization whose mission is to expand the spectrum of ideas, opinions, and perspectives available in the media of the Middle East and North Africa; provide objective, accurate, and relevant news and information; and, accurately represent America, Americans, and American policies. Through its multimedia broadcasts, MBN seeks to inform, engage, and connect with the regions’ people in support of universal freedoms.

MBN Platforms

Television (Alhurra, Alhurra-Iraq)

Radio (Sawa Levant, Sawa Iraq, Sawa Sudan)

Digital (www.Alhurra.com, www.RadioSawa.com, www.Elsaha.com, www.Irfaasawtak.com, www.MaghrebVoices.com)

[Source: MBN press release]

Critically acclaimed Current Time doco chronicles families divided by Russia’s war, disinformation

6 July 2022

Critically acclaimed Current Time doco chronicles families divided by Russia’s war, disinformation

A new documentary produced by Current Time and directed by journalist and filmmaker Andrey Loshak, “Broken Ties,” has premiered to critical acclaim in Russia. The film shows the human cost for Russians themselves of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and ways Kremlin disinformation and state propaganda are tearing Russian families apart.

Filmed over a three-month period, “Broken Ties” follows seven Russian families as their relationships deteriorate in the months following the invasion. Among the subjects followed are: Renata, a pediatrician struggling to come to terms with her guilt over Russia’s involvement in the war, and her mother, Vinera, a fiercely patriotic schoolteacher; and Ekaterina and Artem, a Russian couple so deeply divided on the war that they may divorce. Loshak also interviews Vika, a survivor of Russia’s bombing of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, and her brother, Yakov, who dismisses Vika’s perspective on the war. As ideologies clash, communication becomes strained, and relationships begin to deteriorate. In time, any hope of finding common ground, understanding or reconciliation begins to vanish.

Kenan Aliyev, executive editor at Current Time and executive producer of the film said, “We are extremely proud of this latest collaboration with Andrey Loshak, and our ability to release this important documentary to Russian-speaking audiences – including in Ukraine – while the war rages on. This documentary shows the real, human costs for Russians themselves of Putin’s assault on media freedom and independent journalism.”

In one of the film’s most moving scenes, Natalya, a psychologist opposed to Russia’s invasion, recounts how she regularly talks with her mother Lyudmila for hours, refuting state propaganda. When asked if her daughter has managed to persuade her at all, Lyudmila answers, “No, of course not.”

“Broken Ties” first premiered for Russian-speaking audiences on Current Time on June 20. It is now available on YouTube, where it has been seen over 1.2 million times, generating significant positive audience engagement.

Ksenia Larina, a prominent Russian journalist and television critic, described the film as “astonishing” and “scary;” and Anton Dolin, a Russian film critic writing for Meduza, called the film, “a powerful antidote to what Russian television has become,” and, “made by one of the best representatives of a different kind of television…”

Andrey Loshak is an internationally recognized journalist, reporter, and filmmaker from Moscow. He has received the Russian TEFI award for “Best Reporter” and the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” 1st class medal for his pioneering work in Russian national TV. Loshak’s previous work with Current Time includes “InterNYET,” a series covering the rise and fall of Russia’s internet, and “Let It All Burn,” a documentary about Russian rock band IC3PEAK’s fight with local authorities for its right to perform.

Watch “Broken Ties” with English subtitles here.

[Source: RFE/RL press release]