Orbit Communications Company

Orbit Communications Company
TypePrivate
IndustryTelecommunication
GenrePay television
Founded10 August 1994; 32 years ago (1994-08-10)
Defunct14 September 2009; 17 years ago (2009-09-14)
FateMerged with Showtime Arabia
SuccessorOrbit Showtime Network
HeadquartersManama, Bahrain
Area served
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
ServicesDirect broadcast satellite
Satellite Internet
OwnerMawarid Holding
DivisionsMediagates
Websitewww.orbit.net

Orbit Communications Company was a privately owned pay television network headquartered in Bahrain. Owned by Saudi Arabia–based Mawarid Holding (via Digital Media Systems), it was the first fully digital, multi-channel, multilingual, pay television service in the Middle East and North Africa and was also the world's first fully end-to-end digital TV network. Launched in 1994, it was originally situated in Tor Sapienza, Rome, Italy as the location was considered entirely suitable to build a satellite farm.[citation needed] Orbit employed around 600 employees[when?] who were largely a combination of British and Italian staff with several Arabic speaking nations also represented.[citation needed] Orbit broadcast in several languages around the world including English, Arabic, French, and Filipino.

Some of Orbit's Arabic channels including Bahrain TV, Al Safwa, Fann, Al Yawm, Cinema 1, Cinema 2, Mousalsalat and Mousalsalat +2 and are available throughout North and South America through myTV.

In 2009, to better compete with growing popularity of free-to-air channels and online videos, the company merged with Showtime Arabia to form OSN.

Channel lineup

Up to 500 and more Free-to-air television and radio channels (including Arabsat, Nilesat and Hotbird, based on type of connection).

Orbit ESPN removal

On 1 April 2008, after being on the air since 1994, Orbit ESPN was dropped from the Orbit lineup. This left Orbit without coverage of the NCAA, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the National Football League, NASCAR, IndyCar Series, major golf and tennis tournaments or ESPN's action sports franchise, X Games.

Fox Sports replaced Orbit ESPN on 13 January 2009.

One of the reasons that break the contract with ESPN is the severe financial problems happened at that time, since 1999–2000 the production graph line has been moved down. In 2009, a major delay in paying salaries for Orbit employees in Egypt, Lebanon and KSA for more than four months.[citation needed]

BBC Arabic television

BBC Arabic Television was originally transmitted via Orbit from 1994 until 21 April 1996, when it was taken off air by Orbit after the channel broadcast an episode of the BBC Panorama program critical of the Saudi Arabian government. Many of the BBC Arabic Television staff then went to work for Al Jazeera. The BBC has since relaunched the channel autonomously in 2008.

Showtime Arabia merger

On 12 July 2009, Showtime Arabia and Orbit Communications Company announced a merger that created the “biggest Pay-TV platform” in the Middle East and North Africa.

The newly formed company, which is called OSN, is an equal partnership that would offer 70 exclusive channels featuring new movies, sports, series, Arabic content and international shows.

New customers can subscribe to packages featuring Showtime Arabia and Orbit's programs, while existing subscribers will be able to either retain or upgrade their content. The company will offer HD channels, video on demand and other interactive services.

References

  1. ↑ "Zawya - Mawarid Holding".
  2. ↑ "Zawya - Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network".
  3. ↑ "Orbit plans TV service". www.telecompaper.com. 9 December 1993.
  4. ↑ "Products". Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "Newlywed in Dubai - Year 2: Where the Hell is Orbit ESPN?!?".
  6. ↑ Orbit and ESPN International renew programming distribution agreement Archived 2008-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Al Jazeera's BBC origins".
  8. 1 2 Chiba, Yushi (February 2012). "A Comparative Study on the Pan-Arab Media Strategies: The Cases of Egypt and Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Kyoto Bulletin of Islamic Area Studies. 5 (1&2). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2014.