JEDDAH: Rotana, one of the region’s biggest media networks, has launched three television channels dedicated to the Indonesian market.
The launch coincided with King Salman’s recent visit to Indonesia, as part of his ongoing month-long Asia tour. It marks Rotana’s first venture in the world’s largest Muslim country by population, the Saudi Arabia-based media company said in a statement.
The three channels are being launched in partnership with “Lightning” and distributed via SMV Free Cable.
The first is a religious channel, while the second is dedicated to Arabic films, with the third broadcasting general content.
The preparations for the launch have been ongoing for some time, Rotana said, with the announcement made on the day the Saudi king landed in Indonesia.
“These channels will cater to the Indonesian population in addition to the resident Arabs (through) a bouquet of programs... some will be in Arabic, while others will be dubbed into Indonesian and English (languages),” Rotana said in a statement.
Rotana launches three TV channels in Indonesia
Rotana launches three TV channels in Indonesia
Hezbollah says Israeli strike killed Al-Manar TV presenter in southern Lebanon
- The Israeli military said later on Monday that Al-Din was a Hezbollah militant who recently worked to rehabilitate the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Monday that an Israeli strike in the country’s south killed TV presenter Ali Nour Al-Din, who worked for the group’s affiliated Al-Manar television station.
The group said the killing portends “the danger of Israel’s extended escalations (in Lebanon) to include the media community.”
The Israeli military said later on Monday that Al-Din was a Hezbollah militant who recently worked to rehabilitate the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024 to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which culminated in Israeli strikes that severely weakened the Iran-backed militant group. Since then, the sides have traded accusations over ceasefire violations.
Lebanon has faced growing pressure from the US and Israel to disarm Hezbollah. The group’s leaders fear that Israel could dramatically escalate strikes across the battered country, aiming to push the Lebanese government for quicker action to confiscate Hezbollah’s arsenal.
