Arabian Television Network wins best broadcaster award

Arabian Television Network (ATN), the broadcasting arm of Arab Media Group (AMG), has won the Best Broadcaster of the Year at the fifth annual Digital Studio Awards 2009, which recognised top performers in the Middle East broadcast and production industries.

The event was attended by more than 250 industry professionals, and key industry players.

The coveted recognition comes only six months after the broadcaster moved into its brand new $10 million tapeless outfit at Dubai Studio City, and a year after its launch of three region-wide television stations – MTV Arabia, Nickelodeon and Noor Dubai.

Maryam Al Falasi, General Manager of ATN, said: "2008 was a landmark year for us. We launched three new television channels in nine months, and pioneered the Radio Television format, a revolutionary concept that has allowed us to multiply our viewers as well as our listeners 10-fold. We have also been successful at implementing the MediaGrid tapeless storage system for the first time in the region."

"Our goal is to be the biggest entertainment network in the UAE in the next two years, and if 2008 was any indication, we are on target. Whatever the future holds for us, ATN has established a firm foundation that is widely recognised by industry leaders. The Best Broadcaster of the Year award stands as a testimony to the teamwork at ATN and I applaud their hard work and dedication in striving to remain at the industry forefront."

The new ATN facility at Dubai Studio City is expandable to accommodate the group's future growth requirements. It can be upgraded to high-definition television (HDTV) capability, while additional camera capacity is already in place. The new features at the facility leaves room for the group to add more stations that will continue to broadcast award-winning content in the years to come.

MTV Arabia, launched in November 2007, ploughed new ground and lived up to its stated aim of providing a platform for youth self-expression. Nickelodeon was launched in July 2008 in partnership with a global kids' media brand to create a free-to-air regional Arabic service while being respectful and reflective of the local culture and values. Ramadan 2008 saw the launch of Noor Dubai, an RTV brand that aims to unite the Arab World in positive and constructive discussion on current social, environmental, religious and humanitarian themes.

ATN transmits programming to more than 36 million households, which translates to an estimated 200 million viewers in the Middle East.

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