Christian Satellite Channel SAT-7 has launched its new “block programming” schedule of Christian Arabic broadcasts to women and youth in the Middle East and across North Africa, reports Mission Network News.

|PIC1|SAT-7’s new schedule includes hour-long blocks of shows specifically targeting women and youth in these regions, amounting to an audience of around 5 to 6 million viewers.

CEO of the Christian satellite channel, Terence Ascott, said: “We’re very excited about the new ‘block schedule’. It will help our viewers begin to identify and interact with our hosts on a daily basis.

“It also gives them an opportunity to watch their favourite kinds of programmes at the same time every day and should therefore attract a greater number of viewers to SAT-7’s Christian Arabic broadcasts.”

As part of the increased schedule two new broadcasts have been added to the programme line-up, ‘Mejella’ for youth, and ‘Kol el Dunia’ for women.

Rit El Mounayer, Director of Programme Production and host of the popular children’s show, ‘As Sanabel’, admitted: “Our audience has been crying out for more programmes. Having doubled the number of hours of new Christian programming every day (for children, youth and women) is a great challenge.”

He assured, however, that “from the standpoint of quality and variety you cannot tell the difference between SAT-7 and the other leading secular Arabic channels, except that we have a message, something deeper to share”.

SAT-7 is currently looking to increase its funding in order to sustain its expansion of broadcasts to eventually double its total current output.