DUBAI: BroadcastPro ME, a Middle Eastern TV, radio and broadcasting publication, has announced the winners of the annual Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) BroadcastPro Summit and Awards 2020.
The program is a partnership between ASBU and BroadcastPro ME.
This year, the Innovative Project of the Year prized was awarded to Asharq News, which launched in November 2020 as a collaboration between Bloomberg News and the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), publishers of Arab News and the world’s largest Arabic news outlet, Asharq Al-Awsat.
The 24/7 multiplatform channel is home to business and finance news as well as including a weekly health segment hosted by Egyptian doctor and satirist Bassem Youssef; “The Link,” which will explain to viewers how political events are affecting business and economics; and “East Circle,” which will take a deep dive into areas such as politics, economics and technology.
Innovation Trailblazer
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Asharq News is headquartered in Riyadh with central offices in DIFC, Dubai and Washington D.C.
Nabeel Al-Khatib is leading the charge at Asharq News as general manager, bringing with him decades of experience at news organizations including Al Arabiya and MBC.
One of the ways Asharq is aiming to set itself apart from the many other channels in the region is by catering to untapped audiences. “The first group is the main business leaders, entrepreneurs and political leaders who need to be aware of economic developments around the world, and how that might affect the Middle East and their respective countries,” Al-Khatib told Arab News.
The channel is also addressing the young Arab population through its multichannel approach. “Everybody sees them, but nobody is catering for them. They are not being catered for by any mainstream media. We thought we should appeal to them and tackle their issues and concerns, and we will do that via lots of digital platforms, because this is the way they like to consume content,” Al-Khatib said.
Asharq News’ slogan, “Connecting the Dots,” is what drives its journalistic work and sets its ultimate goal, Al-Khatib said.
“The dots at Asharq News connect the news to its context, geographical setting, historical dimension, political depth, economic impact and social reality,” he said.
