Marina Sarruf
São Paulo – Brazilian company Consult & Television, which operates in technical consultancy in electricity and electronics, has already installed public Arab channels in around 3,000 commercial, diplomatic and residential locations in Brazil. The content of the channels is transmitted by satellite directly from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, to South American and the Eastern coast of the United States.
The Arab channels offered by Consult & Television belong to the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), an organization connected to the League of Arab States. The transmission is digital and is done through a satellite above the Atlantic Ocean. Transmission of the channels is free. The customer only pays for the installation, which costs around US$ 370.
ASBU transmits the content of 10 Arab television stations from Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya and Yemen to Brazil. The programs are varied and from news and sports to films and video clip channels.
According to Hugo Alabi, one of the company directors, the search for Arab channels has been rising, especially among the Arab community in Brazil. "We see a promising future, as the installation cost is reasonable," he explained. According to Alabi, the Brazilians have great interest in Arab culture, and that increases the demand for the channels.
The first official ASBU transmission to the Americas took place in April 2004. According to Alabi, there are three satellites that transmit the Arab channels to the Americas, Dubai TV, from the United Arab Emirates, which offers three channels, Arab Radio and Television (ART), from Saudi Arabia, with 12 channels, and ASBU, with 10 channels. Alabi added that there is also a fourth transmission, Arabsat, which is an organization connected to the ASBU that transmits 60 channels to Europe, the Middle East and the Brazilian northeast.
The channel from Dubai was the first to be transmitted to Brazil by satellite, in 1995, using the former analog system and a transatlantic satellite, a stationary satellite located above the Atlantic Ocean.
The ASBU channels may be installed on any television, all that has to be added is a satellite dish and a receptor, which comes with a remote control. According to Alabi, ASBU is a non-profit organization that has as one of its objectives the authentic publicity of the image of Arab countries.
Profile
Consult & Television started its activities in 1976. The company coordinates the installation of Arab television channels in all the Brazilian states. The channels have already been installed in various embassies in Brazilian capital Brasília, in the Arab Syrian Cultural Centre, in the southeastern Brazilian city of São Paulo, and in homes.
Contact
Consult & Television
+55 11 3471-3676
+55 11 3326-2974
