1 December 2008
Press TV, a 24-hour English-language news channel for which Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi presents Middle East Today every Saturday at 4pm, is set to give British viewers a genuine alternative to the Western establishment consensus when it launches on Sky on December 1.
The broadcaster, whose headquarters is in Tehran but which has bureaux in all major world capitals, will go out on Sky Channel 515, adding to its global footprint via a dozen other satellites and its website (www.presstv.com). Press TV, which launched in July 2007, offers in-depth analysis of news and current affairs, especially focusing on the Middle East.
Press TV has signed a number of politically diverse and high-profile presenters including MPs George Galloway and Derek Conway, broadcast personalities Nick Ferrari and James Whale, and political journalists Andrew Gilligan, Yvonne Ridley and Lauren Booth.
The news operation and website are run from state-of-the-art studios in the Iranian capital, broadcasting completely independently of the government-controlled IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting). Press TV is state-funded but editorially independent, along the lines of the BBC World Service or Al Jazeera. Its broad coverage is testament to that fact.
Commenting on Press TV's Sky launch, a company spokesman said: "Press TV aims to break the stranglehold of Western media over the way people view the world; to challenge stereotypes and pre-conceived ideas; and to bridge cultural differences...Press TV, meanwhile, aims to genuinely give a voice to the voiceless and throw the news spotlight on areas not normally covered by the mainstream media, while maintaining a focus on major events. Our decision to go on to the Sky platform was driven by demand from European viewers who were accessing our website. It seems our blend of presenting a straight, unbiased news agenda, mixed with analytical shows and a wide range of guests reflecting diverse views, is proving to be a winning formula."
For more information on Press TV, please visit www.presstv.com or call the following spokespeople:
Matthew Richardson, Legal Advisor - 07866981504
Mr Roshan Muhammed Salih, Press TV London news editor - 07791709325