AL24 News is an Algerian public international news channel broadcasting in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
,
French and
English since 1 November 2021.
History
The concept for the channel was initially proposed by then-Minister of Communication
Ammar Belhimer, to project Algerian
soft power
In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-option, co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power). It involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. Soft power is ...
abroad. Prior to the channel's launch, Belhimer said that "the project to create an international television channel is a major focus of President
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Abdelmadjid Tebboune (; born 17 November 1945) is an Algerian politician currently serving as the president of Algeria since December 2019 and as minister of defence.
Tebboune took over the power from former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and f ...
's program".
A ceremony marking the channel's official launch took place on 30 October 2021, on the 67th anniversary of the outbreak of the
Algerian War
The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
, with broadcasts commencing on 1 November 2021 at midnight (
WAT
A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Etymology
The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...
).
Salim Aggar, a former director of the
Algerian Cinematheque, was appointed as its inaugural director-general.
AL24 News and the Russian channel
RT Arabic
RT Arabic, formerly known as Rusiya Al-Yaum (), is a Russian state media, state-owned free-to-air television news channel broadcasting in Arabic and headquartered in Moscow, Russia. Rusiya Al-Yaum started broadcasting on 4 May 2007. The pare ...
have signed a cooperation agreement on . This agreement aims to facilitate the exchange of information and audiovisual programs between the two media outlets, as well as provide mutual assistance in the field of television broadcasting.
Content
According to the state-run Algeria Press Service, the channel intends to strengthen "Algeria's presence on the international media scene and the impact of its positions vis-à-vis regional and international causes".
Officially, 60% of content is produced in Arabic, followed by 35% in French and 5% in English.
Programming includes rolling news, debates, talk shows, documentaries, and thematic magazines.
Reception
A July 2022 assessment by ''
Jeune Afrique
''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris by Jeune Afrique Media Group. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It o ...
'' said that results were "mixed" for AL24 News's audience. Notably, it "failed to distinguish itself with content that is fundamentally different from the many private or public television channels. With 500,000 subscribers and more than 300,000 likes on its Facebook page, it is clear that it has failed to capture the attention of Algerians."
The channel has been criticised by Moroccan pro-government media for its connections to the Algerian state.
See also
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Echorouk News
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Ennahar TV
*
Television in Algeria
References
External links
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Government-owned companies of Algeria
Television channels and stations established in 2021
Television stations in Algeria
Multilingual broadcasters
International broadcasters
Companies based in Algiers
State media
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