It seems that TV's loss next year will be online media's gain, if major clients like Unliver and Emirates do indeed act on their dissatisfaction with the fragmentation of TV in the region.

Apperantly, they plan to shift more advertising to online and in-store promotions. Finally, more action on the online front. However, it is a worrying development for a major sector like TV.

Although every year it is announced that 'this will be the year for online advertising', the true potential of this highly effective medium is yet to materialize in the Middle ast; as clients and agencies do not seem to completely grasp its power.

A report by Campaign Middle East, echoed by AMEInfo, suggest that "Both Emirates Airline and Unilever say TV no longer has the same impact on consumers".

Emirates is a pioneering, if not the top, online advertiser from the Middle East and it understand's the value of interactive media.

On the other hand, Emirates has been expanding its activities on on the sponsorship front- especially in sports- to which it seems to be diverting its budget away from advertising. TV and radio could be the first to suffer.

Unilever has always charted its own path in media strategy, taking its media planning in-house in a move that shook its advertising agency. This 'rebellion' against TV could be another chapter in Unilever's untraditional stance regarding the media market.

It should be interesting to see if other clients voice similar concerns, or follow suit. We'll be brining you all the reactions and, hopefully, some counter reactions form TV advocates here at mediaME.

According to Arab Advisors Group, a regional research company, the number of Arab free to air (FTA) satellite channels more than doubled between 2004 and 2006!

By October 2006 the total number of FTA Satellite channels broadcasting on Arabsat and Nilesat reached 263, growing by 163% since January 2004.

Of these FTA channels, 73.8% are privately owned. This is attributable to the increase in the number of countries allowing private ownership in the Arab region. And a higher number of channels broadcast on Nilesat compared to Arabsat.

Arab Advisors Group’s analysis reveals that over 90% of FTA satellite channels include programs in Arabic. Channels corresponding to general programs types continue to dominate other program types making up 25.9% of FTA channels by October 2006.

The gulf countries host the highest number of Arab FTA satellite channels encompassing close to half of the total channels targeting the region.

These facts and numbers are part of a new report by Arab Advisors Group, entitled "Satellite TV in the Arab World 2006".

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