Rotana is to launch a new TV channel in Egypt as part of a bid to strengthen the group’s presence in the Egyptian market.
The entertainment channel, which has the working name of Rotana Egypt, will go live on 1 January and will complement Rotana’s other offerings in the country, including Rotana Cinema and Rotana Radio.
Nezar Nagro, president of Rotana Media Services (RMS), the sales and promotions arm of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Riyadh-based Rotana Group, said the channel will include talk shows, new drama series and sport programmes, as well as international formats such as Star Academy. “Egypt is one of the most important markets for us and we are adding this station in order to be stronger in the country, which is growing year by year,” said Nagro. “That’s why we are focusing on keeping our share of the market and hopefully increasing it.”
News Corp has a 9.09 per cent stake in Rotana, which includes TV stations Rotana Cinema and Rotana Music, as well as Rotana Records, the Arab world’s largest record label. The group includes free-to-air channels Fox Series and Fox Movies thanks to a partnership between Fox International Channels and RMS.