Saudi TV channel to broadcast to Spain, Latin America

A new TV channel, sponsored by the government of Saudi
Arabia, will begin broadcasting on 1 January, El Pais reports.

It joins Hispan TV, a channel sponsored by the government
of Iran, which began broadcasting on 21 December. Both TV stations are to broadcast
24 hours to Spanish-speaking audiences in Spain and Latin America from studios
in Madrid’s suburbs in Spain.

The new Saudi channel, Córdoba Televisión, will broadcast
documentaries, features and discussions on religion. It is owned by the Foundation for the Message of Islam that is headed by
Sheikh Abdulaziz al Fawzan and has the backing of the Saudi royal family.

Its initial schedule, which will be
expanded gradually, shall be eight hours daily, to be repeated three times. The
channel’s programming consists of features, documentaries and discussions
related to religion.

To develop such programmes, 50 employees
have been hired and professionals from Spanish stations Antena 3 and Telecinco
have been engaged. The station also has small teams in Argentina and Colombia.

The new Iranian channel, Hispan TV, will focus on news and
television series produced in Iran and dubbed into Spanish.

“This new television network in Spanish will play a
crucial role in reflecting the ideological legitimation of our system in the
world,” said Ezzatollah Zarghami, Director-General of Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the government-owned media corporation.