[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 41 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2905-S2906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ALHURRA TELEVISION

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I rise to call my colleagues attention to 
a promising development for U.S. public diplomacy efforts in the Middle 
East. Yesterday, Alhurra Television, the U.S. Government-sponsored 
Arabic language channel, launched a new groundbreaking live television 
show originating simultaneously from five countries and three 
continents including Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem and Alhurra's 
headquarters in Springfield, Va. The 3-hour daily program titled Al 
Youm (Today in Arabic), provides viewers a window to the world through 
its coverage of the latest news from the Middle East, the United 
States, and the world. The show also includes topics such as health, 
sports technology, entertainment news, and social and cultural issues. 
Al Youm includes interviews with everyone from politicians to athletes, 
leaders in business, and the arts.
  On its opening broadcast, Al Youm carried an interview with House 
International Relations Committee Chairman Howard Berman and included a 
report from Alhurra's White House correspondent discussing the Obama 
administration's outreach to a moderate faction of the Taliban. Since 
its launch coincided with International Women's Day, Al Youm had a 
series of reports on the role of women in the Middle East, including a 
story on young girls being forced into marriage and a live interview 
with the Executive Director of Dubai's Social Development Institute. 
There was also a profile of the former First Lady of Lebanon and her 
work as the founder of a health center for children with blood 
diseases. Al Youm had the latest financial and sports news, as well as 
a health segment on the growing problem of obesity.
  Al Youm's entertainment segments featured well-known singers and 
performers in the region. Popular Arab singer Myriam Fares introduced 
her latest song that has not been released to the public. Hisham Abbas, 
another famous Arab singer, joined Al Youm during its debut and sang 
his most popular hit song, Feno. Actress Nadine Al Rassi appeared live 
to discuss her program, Assr El Harim, one of the most popular 
television programs in the Middle East. Al Youm also profiled the first 
Arab singer to represent Israel in the Eurovision Festival.
  Al Youm further enhances the strong core of program options already 
offered

[[Page S2906]]

by Alhurra Television. Launched in 2004 under the U.S. Broadcasting 
Board of Governors, the 24-hour broadcast network has gained traction 
in the competitive television marketplace of the Middle East. Recent 
surveys of the Middle East by research companies such as ACNielsen show 
that Alhurra has a weekly reach of an estimated 26 million adults. 
Alhurra is broadcast on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites in the 
Middle East and the Hotbird satellite system in Europe. Al Youm is also 
streamed live on the Internet--Alhurra.com--at 4-7 p.m. GMT.

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