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Food Network Programming Finds a Home on Fatafeat TV

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 August 2007, 15:10 CDT

Lifestyle television leader Scripps Networks has teamed with Dubai UAE-based Takhayal Entertainment for the roll out of Fatafeat TV, launched earlier this year as the first 24-7, free-to-air food channel in the region. This agreement expands Food Network's global presence as the leader in international food-related programming.

"The instant popularity of Fatafeat TV displays the huge demand of the Middle Eastern audience for the inspirational and informational series that have made our lifestyle brands household names," said Kristen Jordan, Senior Vice President, International Development for Scripps Networks. "Scripps is honored to help serve as a catalyst for the emergence of lifestyle TV around the world, with compelling programming that transcends the boundaries of geography and culture to appeal to a universal audience."

Fatafeat TV serves up Food Network programming in 21 Arabic-speaking territories - including Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The channel has quickly become a favorite in the region, featuring such popular Food Network titles as "30 Minute Meals," with internationally renowned host and "queen of quick" Rachael Ray; "Everyday Italian," starring international culinary sensation Giada De Laurentiis; "Barefoot Contessa," hosted by cookbook author and caterer Ina Garten; and "Ace of Cakes" with "extreme baker" Duff Goldman.

According to Takhayal Entertainment Chairman and Managing Director Youssef El-Deeb, Fatafeat TV's success in large measure has stemmed from its adherence to the Food Network model, creating a compelling niche channel for the Middle East.

"We are one of the first broadcasters to adopt a 'know-how' transfer type of model. What is a success story for Scripps Networks around the world is a model for Fatafeat. The results have been an amazing response from a quickly dedicated heavy consumer of 'good life' programming. We are grateful to Scripps for guiding us through our launch.

In three months, we have received over 15,000 unsolicited emails, from a target audience not necessarily Web-savvy in our region. All of the emails have thanked us for what we had set as our mission for Fatafeat: Good clean entertainment. One of my favorite emails is from a lady in Iraq, who wrote us thanking us for providing some 'normalcy' in her otherwise turbulent life," said El-Deeb.

Takhayal Entertainment plans to ride the wave of Fatafeat TV's instant success with the creation of the Middle East's first lifestyle network, slated to debut this fall. The new network will continue to expand the reach of Scripps Networks programming in the region as the channel will be bolstered with popular programming licensed from Scripps Networks broad library. A minimum of 750 hours of programming from Scripps Networks will be airing in the Middle East featuring content from Food Network, along with Home & Garden Television (HGTV), DIY Do It Yourself Network and Fine Living.

About Scripps Networks

Scripps Networks is comprised of the lifestyle television brands HGTV (http://www.hgtv.com), Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com), DIY Network (http://www.diynetwork.com), Fine Living (http://www.fineliving.com) and country music network Great American Country (GAC) (http://www.gactv.com). Scripps is the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming is complemented with online content. For more, please visit http://www.scrippsnetworks.com.

In addition, Scripps Networks has launched HGTV and Food Network in high definition, and is aggressively developing its emerging media platforms for broadband and video on demand. Scripps Networks brands collectively are available in more than 170 countries and territories on all seven continents. They also are distributed to more than 1,000 outlets on U.S. military bases and U.S. embassies around the world via the American Forces Radio and Television Service.

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Nashville and San Francisco, Scripps Networks is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks and interactive media. Scripps operates daily and community newspapers in 17 markets, 10 broadcast TV stations, Scripps Howard News Service, United Media, Shopzilla.com and USwitch.

Source: Business Wire

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