Orbit chooses Bahrain as base

Source: GDN
Bahrain-headquartered Orbit Satellite and Radio Television Network plans to move its broadcasting base from Rome to Bahrain in the medium-term.

The move will bring the network closer to its viewers and listeners, who are virtually all in the Middle East and North Africa.

It will also centralise its operations, which are currently scattered around the world, said vice-president marketing Ali Ajouz.

“The programmes are currently uplinked to our Rome office before they are broadcast to our subscribers.”

Mr Ajouz explained that the network would gradually move its various operations to Bahrain beginning with those that won’t affect its broadcasts.

He declined to give a timeframe for the move but said it was among the company’s medium-term plans.

He was speaking to the GDN following a Press conference announcing a five-year renewal agreement between Orbit and ESPN International, the world’s largest sports programming provider.

Under the agreement, Orbit-ESPN will continue to broadcast sports programming in Arabic and English to more than 20 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.