UAE-based digital media company EMM is to launch a 24-hour entertainment TV channel. The channel is set to launch across the Middle East by the end of 2012. The channel will broadcast from Abu Dhabi's media zone. "EMM's existing digital audience will be drawn to the original and exciting offering from the distinctive new TV channel when we transmit across the Middle East and North Africa. Editorially, operationally and technically our TV programming will be distinctive, innovative, empowering and with high production values," said Nicholas Claxton, chief executive of EMM.

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Sky News Arabia has launched a training programme aimed at encouraging UAE nationals to join its staff at its Abu Dhabi studios, The National has reported. "The media profession hasn't traditionally been one of the most attractive careers for young Emirati professionals to pursue," said Adrian Wells, the launch director of Sky News Arabia. "It's much more likely that they would have been attracted into business, or maybe PR, or certainly engineering." 

TROPFEST Arabia, one of the world's most foremost short film festivals will be bringing its support to leading film personalities and filmmakers this year in the Middle East, held in Abu Dhabi. The festival has been commerically successful in attracting almost 150,000 people with a live television audience of over one million every year.

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The eighth Ramadan campaign, organized by Zakat Fund will be launched to help raise more than Dh70m for those in need. The campaign will cover a series of television, radio and newspaper advertisements and will appear under the banner: "With participation we revive Zakat."

According to The National, plans to launch the Arabic-language station based in Abu Dhabi, Sky News Arabia, are still on despite the phone hacking scandal in the UK rocking Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire.

Sky News Arabia is a 50/50 joint venture with BSkyB and the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (Admic). Both organisations remain committed to the launch," Sky News Arabia said in a statement. News Corp already owns a 39% stake in BSkyB. But last week it abandoned a $12.6bn bid for full control of the company.

Voting in the forthcoming election for the Federal National Council will be easier than using an ATM machine, officials said.The pledge came as a media campaign was launched to raise awareness before the largest election in UAE history.

More than 80,000 Emiratis can go to the polls to elect 20 of the 40 members of the FNC. The names of those eligible to vote will be announced soon.Officials said the number of polling stations will increase to 14 from seven in 2006 - the year of the first election when 6,595 were entitled to vote.

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