Satellite Saturation?

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The Middle East has become one of the most crowded commercial television markets in the world. The skies above the region are becoming increasingly packed with competing satellites.

Worldwide, the satellite market could reach 145 million households by the year 2005. In the Middle East region alone, it is now possible to receive at least 60 terrestrial and free-to-air satellite channels in Arabic, around five in English and six in Hindi, in addition to pay-TV. This creates a huge potential market for broadcasters.

In today's regional market place, which extends from the Gulf across to North Africa, more than 50 million televisionowning households are classified as potential customers.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, are particularly important to broadcasters since they are primarily youth markets, with over half of the population under the age of 20, many with high disposable incomes and a particular interest in international programming.

Even more encouraging …