Sky News Arabia: Mobile apps becoming key to news delivery in Arab region

The livestreaming for Sky News Arabia's iPhone and Android smartphone apps - which comes in addition to the livestreaming already available on the channel's native iPad and Android tablet apps - is part of the channel's efforts to remain at the cutting edge of news delivery and to meet increasing viewer demand for information on the go.

"The convergance of communications, internet and mobile technology and the rapid rise of social media are changing the broadcast industry, from the way news is gathered to how its delivered and consumed," Nart Bouran, Head of Sky News Arabia, said.

Speaking during a discussion held at Sky News Arabia's studios about the impact of technology on the broadcast news industry, Bouran continued: "It is no longer enough for media organizations to have the largest network of bureaus and journalists; as important - if perhaps more important - is the need to embrace technology and keep pace with the evolution of information technology in order to keep audiences interested and engaged."

"From social media to the spread of smartphones and tablet PCs to the increasing availability of mobile internet and mobile data packages, technology is giving users the ability to access news and information anytime, anywhere from the palm of their hand. Mobile apps are a key part of this and at Sky News Arabia we see this as a tremendous opportunity to stay engaged with our audiences wherever they may be and to deliver the news in the format and via the platforms they prefer.

As an independent, 24-hour, breaking news channel, Sky News Arabia has placed multi-media at the core of its operations with the integration of broadcast, online and social media in its newsroom. Sky News Arabia's website, www.skynewsarabia.com - launched two months prior to the channel itself - features blogs and live Twitter feeds from journalists and correspondents and allows users to engage and comment on current topics. On social media, audiences can find and share stories on Facebook, stay abreast of breaking news via Twitter or view news highlights and interviews on Sky News Arabia's Youtube channel while at the same time engaging and interacting with the channel and its journalists. Twitter users can choose to follow the channel's main handle @skynewsarabia for a summary of the day's top news or follow handles specific to their interests ranging from breaking news, to tech, culture, and sports.

Thair Soukar, Head of Digital Strategy at Sky News Arabia commented:"Sky News Arabia was launched with a core aim of providing breaking news to Arabs across the region as it happens and across multiple platforms to match their need for mobile communication. In developing our technology, we noticed a gap in the market in the availability of native, good quality Arabic news apps, particularly for Android devices. We created our applications with all mobile audiences in mind and have so far received very positive feedback from our users. We will continue to develop our apps in line with the latest technology to ensure an efficient and interactive user experience for all."

Sky News Arabia has launched mobile apps for various operating systems, including iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Blackberry and Nokia. The applications were created as native versions rather than mobile versions of the website to ensure a better user experience and seamless integration with the user's mobile device.

The iOS and Android apps were particularly designed to be advanced and in line with the world's best practices. Some of the key features include an interactive map for news, 3-D photo galleries and a 48-hour timeline of top news stories as well as the ability to share stories via Facebook, Twitter and Google+.



Another important feature of the mobile app is the live streaming, which has recently been added to the iPhone to match the iPad and Android applications, allowing users to watch high quality broadcast of the channel while on the go. Live streaming of the channel is also available at www.skynewsarabia.com and www.livestation.com.

"Android and Apple iOS devices make-up some 95% of the smartphone and tablet market in the Middle East. With our livestreaming for phones and tablets on both of these operating systems we have the ability to reach practically all users across the region who have access to mobile data and would want to watch Sky News Arabia while on the move," Soukar explained.

Sky News Arabia also broadcasts free-to-air on Nilesat 201, Transponder 14; Arabsat Badr 4, Transponder 15 and Hotbird (Eutelsat 13C, ex Hotbird9), Transponder 51. The channel is also available on OSN channel 122 in HD and 123 in SD, Etisalat eLife channel 236 in HD and 234 in SD, du channel 17 in HD and channel 16 in SD, Qtel Mozaic TV channel 105 and the Abu Dhabi TV Network.