AMEinfo has reported that Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) has announced that all Arabic entertainment channels of the Arab Radio and Television (ART) have been added to its own Arabic entertainment channels. The five exclusive Arabic ART channels are ART Cinema, ART Aflam 1 and 2 and ART Hikayat 1 and 2. The new ART channels will be added to all OSN packages that currently carry Arabic programming, according to OSN .

AMEinfo reports that ART has announced a long-term distribution agreement with Canadian’s IPTV service provider NeuLion Inc. The new service, branded Talfazat-ART, will offer Canadian viewers access to ART’s menu of channels, and will launch in June 2010 to offer both subscription and pay-per-view services.

NueLion Inc  is an end-to-end IPTV service provider of live and on-demand programming delivered via broadband.

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Rapid TV News reports that ART is planning to exit the pay-TV market before even covering this summer's South Africa-based World Cup soccer tournament. There were signs that the agreement had broken down when ART failed to show some games from the Africa Cup competition played this past January.

ART had previously said it would cover the games despite having sold the rights to Al Jazeera Sports Channels. ART had earlier said that its subscribers would still be able to view the games under a "rebroadcast agreement" it had negotiated with Al Jazeera.
 

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Saudi Gazette reports that the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information has announced 11 qualified submissions for the five new FM radio licenses in the Kingdom. The winner of the first new FM radio license will be announced on January 30th. The remaining four licenses will be announced every two weeks until March 22nd.

Over 73 percent of people in Saudi Arabia listen to radio programs, with over half of them tuning into radio on a daily basis, according to a new study by the Arab Advisers Group.
 

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Rapid TV News reports that Al-Jazeera and the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) haven’t been on the best of terms since Al-Jazeera obtained the broadcasting rights from ART. Egyptians’ hopes have been misplaced after they have depended heavily on the ERTU to purchase the broadcasting rights for the upcoming 27th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations from Al-Jazeera Sport, however, no deal was reached.

The ERTU is being blamed by the Egyptian public for what has been described as its slowness in starting the negotiations.
 

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The National reports that Al Jazeera Sports has secured the transfer of World Cup rights following its deal with ART. The estimated $1 billion deal makes Al Jazeera the dominant sports broadcaster in the region, giving it a stronger position when setting prices for its packages.

ART Sport and Al Jazeera Sport subscribers will be able to access sports channels from each other for December. ART subscribers will be able to continue to watch the same matches on Al Jazeera Sport channels on the ART bundle.
 

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