Pan-Arab broadcaster MBC is to launch a dedicated channel for the Egyptian market.
The new station, called MBC Misr, will be officially announced next month, with the channel going live in either October or November. The launch is part of a new strategy by the Dubai-based network to split its transmissions and develop more localised content.
“If you want to grow you can’t ignore a growing market like Egypt,” said Ali Jaber, group TV director at the MBC Group. “We are going to officially announce the launch in Egypt on the 16th of October and I’ll be flying out for that. It should be live by November, although we have not set the date yet.”
The channel will feature general entertainment and is likely to be the first of a number of new channels to be rolled out by MBC, with a channel for Iraq also under discussion. According to a recent report in Variety Arabia, Egyptian presenter Mona El Shazly has agreed to host a new political show on MBC Misr. The programme will be one of many Egyptian-themed talk shows and drama series that will make up the bulk of the new station’s programming grid.
The launch of MBC Misr is the latest of a handful of new Egyptian channels rolled out by the region’s major broadcasters.