BBC Arabic TV: A “unique experience” says Hosam El Sokkari

We all know the story: A decade ago, the BBC pulled the plug on its ill-fated Arabic TV joint venture with the Saudis when it turned out they didn’t quite see eye-to-eye on news values. The out-of-work staff became the nucleus of Al Jazeera’s original news team. Now the Brits are back, actively fielding resumes for a new Arabic-language channel, this one sans pesky partners. Arab Media & Society co-editor Lawrence Pintak caught up with Hosam El Sokkari, the head of the BBC’s Arabic Service and himself a veteran of both that first BBC joint venture and Al Jazeera, to discuss the BBC’s re-entry into an increasingly crowded media market. Pintak: BBC Arabic television, it is almost BBC coming full circle in the Middle East, isn’t it? El Sokkari: In a way yes. We realized back in 1994 that this is the medium of choice in the Middle East. And we wanted to be available in vision for our audiences there. However that experience was not sustainable for certain commercial reasons. And since the closure of the first BBC Arabic television we have been trying to get back into the market. Previously we did not have the money. Now we have the money. And we’re going ahead with it.