SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA Brings Arab-American Christians 'A Voice from Home'

Contact: Ty Mays, 770-256-8710

EASTON, Md., Oct. 8, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- After 17 years of broadcasting the voice of the Arab church and Arab Christians to viewers in the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7 will launch its new North American television channel Nov. 3.

PHOTO: Jamie, Marianne, Rawad and Joyce (left to right) are on-air personalities for SAT-7.  Marianne hosts the popular, live children's program, "Let's Sing Together."  Jamie, Joyce and Rawad host the popular, live youth program, "From Me to You," and are part of a well-known praise band, Strongholds.

Arab viewers across the USA and Canada will be able to access SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA in their own homes via satellite across four North American time zones, while also receiving special live and interactive programming from the Middle East and North Africa in real time. 
 
"As the Arab population with strong ties to their homelands continues to grow within the United States and Canada, the launching of SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA captures a tremendous opportunity for quality Arabic Christian television programming," said Dr. Terence Ascott, SAT-7 founder and CEO. "We look forward to providing Arab immigrants and their descendants with 'A Voice from Home.'"

"SAT-7 is the pioneer of Arabic satellite broadcast stations in the world.  It is the mother of all Arabic TV broadcasting," said Rev. Dr. Magdy Girgis, Middle East Ministries, PCUSA.  "SAT-7 filled the Middle East with the gospel message when the area lacked any TV ministry."

SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA is being provided without subscription fee as a free-to-air channel on Galaxy 19 at 97º West, 11.867 GHz Vertical, Symbol Rate 22000, FEC ¾. It also will be available online on the SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA website (www.sat7northamerica.org), on iOS and Android mobile devices, and via Roku.

Consensus of demographics shows the United States is home to at least 1.5 million Arabic people, with more than 470,000 persons of Arabic descent in Canada. Recent surveys show Arab viewers are loyal to their satellite ethnic content providers, with an overwhelming majority receiving their programming over satellite, yielding a large potential viewing audience for SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA.

SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA joins the five channels serving the Middle East and North Africa:
SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS, SAT-7 KIDS, SAT-7 PLUS and SAT-7 TÜRK.

A wide variety of features will include special North American programs, as well as popular SAT-7 programming currently broadcast for ministers, leaders, women and children.  Program topics include SAT-7's kids, theological education, leadership training, health and lifestyle issues and Middle East current events. Periodic live special events and interaction with Middle East and North Africa churches will be shown on SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA in real time.
 
Upcoming promotions include short interviews with North American Arabs exploring what it means to be an Arab Christian living in the United States and Canada.

Arab-Americans and Christians everywhere are urged to pray for the launch of SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA as it reaches into the homes of a potential audience of 4 million people. To make a donation to support the subscription-free channel, go to www.sat7northamerica.org, or call 1-866-744-7287.

For more information, visit www.sat7northamerica.org or the channel's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SAT7USA. 

"The interaction that SAT-7 NORTH AMERICA viewers will have with Middle East and North Africa Christians is unprecedented," said Ascott. "We anticipate these pioneering days to yield great benefits to our Arab brothers and sisters."

Since 1996, SAT-7 has brought quality Christian television programming via satellite to more than 15 million viewers throughout the Middle East and North Africa. With international headquarters in Cyprus and six channels, SAT-7 broadcasts in Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish, enabling viewers to join a global fellowship of Christians within the privacy of their own homes. For more information, visit www.sat7usa.org.

To schedule an interview with an official from SAT-7, contact Ty Mays at 770-256-8710 or tmays@inchristcommunications.com.