The Arab world's FTA Sat TV channels have grown by 2.7% between March 2009 and April 2010. By April 2010, the total number of FTA satellite channels reached 487 broadcasting on Arabsat, Nilesat and/or Noorsat.

Arab Advisors Group research revealed that the highest number of channel types were the Private-sector general channels followed by Government-sector general channels. The results of Arab Advisors' annual analysis of the FTA channels were released at the 7th annual Media and Telecoms Convergence Conference in Amman on June 7 & 8 2010.

The growth in the number of Free to Air (FTA) satellite channels targeting the Arab region is slowing down. By April 2010, the total number of distinct FTA satellite channels reached 487 on Arabsat, Nilesat and/or Noorsat, a marginal increase of 2.7% over the number of channels recorded in March 2009. The FTA landscape added 13 channels between March 2009 and April 2010, compared to the 104 channels added between August 2007 and March 2009. 16.5% of the 448 fully launched and operational channels' headquarters are located in Saudi Arabia.

A new report, 'Satellite TV in the Arab World 2010' was released to the Arab Advisors Group's Media Strategic Research Service subscribers on May 31, 2010.

The channels are analyzed according to their type, broadcasting language, headquarters (main offices), ownership (state owned, private or mixed ownership) and satellite carriers. In addition, the satellite systems included in the analysis are Arabsat, Nilesat and Noorsat, this is due to the fact that the majority of FTA satellite channels targeting the Arab World are aired on one or more of these satellites. Please contact the Arab Advisors Group to get a copy of the report's Table of Contents.

"In line with the liberalization of the audio visual sectors in the region, the number of private satellite channels exceeds the number of government owned channels: 69.9% of the fully launched and operational FTA channels are privately owned while 29% are government owned. In terms of the types of channels, General- Private sector channels have the highest share (19.6%) amongst the total fully launched and operational FTA satellite channels, followed by the General-Government sector channels at 12.7%," Ms. Danya Nusseir, Arab Advisors senior research analyst, commented.