SBS Arabic24, a dedicated DAB+ digital radio station broadcasting and streaming Australian and global news and current affairs, entertainment and music 24/7 in Arabic, has announced a new 2023 programming line-up commencing today.
A new weekend morning show Best of SBS Arabic24 – Week in Review will air on Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 8am, while an increased music offering giving a unique cultural touchpoint to audiences’ homelands will see the popular Bayt Al Mazzika music show timeslot expanded to 9am to 3pm on weekdays with live hosting between noon and 1pm.
These programming updates complement SBS Arabic24’s flagship Good Morning Australia live breakfast show and Australia Alyaom live afternoon show, with recent research showing Arabic-Australian audiences want increased entertainment and a special focus on music connecting them to the latest news and trends from their diverse cultures.
These schedule changes are timed with BBC Arabic radio ceasing its linear transmission to develop digital audio content. BBC Arabic radio has been a content partner of SBS Arabic24 since 2016.
SBS Director of Audio & Language Content, David Hua, said: “SBS Arabic24 is an important part of SBS’s multilingual services for all Australians. We’re excited to build out our offering for the more than 367,000 Arabic speakers in Australia with a new weekend morning show and almost 120 additional hours of music every week to help entertain, inform and connect. BBC Arabic radio has been a valued and trusted content partner of SBS Arabic24 since our launch nearly seven years ago, and we’re using this opportunity to deliver even more SBS-produced content tailored to our multicultural audiences’ needs.”
SBS Arabic24 Executive Producer, Sylva Mezher, said: “Listeners told us they wanted more entertainment throughout the week and a relaxing way to spend their weekend mornings. Our new show The Best of SBS Arabic24 – Week in Review on Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 8am will engage and entertain audiences wanting to catch up on the best parts of the week that’s been and enjoy our mix of music covering the latest hits and nostalgic memories.”
SBS Arabic24 ‘Bayt Al Mazzika’ host, Sanae Ouahib, said: “Listeners often tell me that music is their way of maintaining strong cultural connections to their homelands across diverse Arab-speaking communities. Our new show Bayt Al Mazzika Live will bring all the top hits from Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and beyond, including by Wael Kfoury and Amro Diab, as well as your favourite golden oldies from Feyrouz and Um Kolthoum.”
In addition to the above programming, Pop Arabi will deliver the best of Arabic music overnights and weekends, while live news bulletins will run on weekdays every hour from 6am t0 6pm, rounding out a strong offering across news and current affairs, talkback, music and popular culture.
SBS Arabic24 is an important part of SBS’s multilingual services available in more than 60 languages across multiple platforms. SBS’s Arabic in-language content across digital and FM radio, online, podcasting, social media and television includes SBS-produced Arabic TV news bulletins on SBS WorldWatch and SBS On Demand.
SBS Arabic24 digital radio schedule
Monday to Friday*
- 6am to 9am: Good Morning Australia (live) – with Fares Hassan and Petra Taok
- 9am to 3pm: Bayt Al Mazzika
- 12pm to 1pm: NEW! Bayt Al Mazzika (live) – with Sanae Ouahib
- 1pm to 3pm: Bayt Al Mazzika
- 3pm to 6pm: Australia Alyaom (live) – with Iman Riman, Hana Yassin and Manal Al-Ani
- 6pm onwards: Pop Arabi – the best of Arabic music
*Includes live news bulletins every hour from 6am to 6pm with Saleem Al-Fahad and Hachem El-Haddad
Saturday to Sunday
- 6am to 8am: NEW! The Best of SBS Arabic24 – Week in Review – with Sanae Ouahib
- 8am to 6am: Pop Arabi – the best of Arabic music
Other channels
- SBS Arabic24 will continue to broadcast on SBS Radio 2 (FM) daily from 6am to 8am, and on the SBS National Radio Network daily from 6am to 7am.
- SBS News in Arabic by SBS’s News and Current Affairs team is on SBS WorldWatch weeknights from 8pm to 8.30pm, and also available on SBS On Demand.
- Visit the SBS Arabic24 website – Arabic | English
Media Release – SBS
