Attacks on MBC Group’s Channels and Al Arabiya

MBC Group’s bouquet of channels recently experienced a deliberate disruption in its broadcast on Nilesat by an unknown source of perpetrators which disrupted transmission of the bouquet of channels for several and repeated hours, leading to the absence of sound and visual appearance of the screens.

MBC Group condemns this planned attack on its channels which not only target its transmission but its millions of viewers everywhere. For its part, Al Arabiya news channel holds the perpetrators responsible for preventing viewers to follow its news, breaking news, programmes, and live coverage of the escalating events in the region, more so, its bold and balanced coverage of the recent events in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. This assault also comes after a series of recurrent attacks on Al Arabiya’s on-ground team of reporters, therefore confirming purposeful attacks not only on its reporters but also aimed at an audience of millions of viewers everywhere.

A reliable source in Al Arabiya said that the disruption amplified when Al Arabiya’s viewership was at peak during its comprehensive coverage of the heated events in Libya.

In anticipation of the transmission of MBC channels resuming on Nilesat, the network offers its viewers temporary alternative frequencies on the same satellite-Nilesat, as well as the existing ones on Arabsat to ensure the continuation of its broadcast to the Arab world and beyond.

In this context, MBC Group is committed to closely monitor the case with all the concerned parties and satellite broadcast providers, to identify the source of this attack and the responsibility of those who stand behind it, and therefore pursue prosecution, and reduce the possibility of such attacks in the future.

• The following are temporary alternative frequencies for MBC channels and Al Arabiya on NileSat: