ARY Digital
Encyclopedia
ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group
ARY Group
The ARY Group is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob. Abdul is the Chief Executive Officer and owner of the Group...

, is a popular Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 network available in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

-based holding company founded by a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob
Abdul Razzak Yaqoob
Abdul Razzak Yaqoob is a wealthy Pakistani businessman based in Dubai. He is the owner of ARY Group of Companies.His migrated from Surat in India to Karachi in 1944. He came to Dubai from Pakistan in 1969 to recover some money owed to his father from a friend. But Yaqoob realised that Dubai...

 (ARY). The network caters to the needs of South Asians, particularly the Pakistani diaspora
Pakistani diaspora
The Pakistani diaspora, or an overseas Pakistani is a Pakistani citizen who has migrated to another country or a person of Pakistani origin who is born outside Pakistan. There are approximately 7 million Pakistanis living abroad...

. The channel is considered to be a pioneer in Pakistani media and broadcasting industry, and has an expanding network of channels, each with an independent focus.

History

ARY Digital, formerly known as the Pakistani Channel, was launched in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in December 2000 to cater to the growing demands of South Asian entertainment in the region. Within a short span of three years, the unique proposition and the content of the channel resulted in massive popularity and in order to enable greater expansion and broadcast into other countries, the operations were moved to Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City , part of Dubai Holding, is a tax-free zone within Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has been built by the Dubai government to boost UAE's media foothold, and has become a regional hub for media organizations including news agencies, publishing, online media, advertising, production,...

. It uses Samacom, a monopolising uplink provider based in the UAE, as the uplink teleport station.

The channel started off with a format more closely resembling that of PTV Prime and other Indian channels where it provided slots for soaps in general while presenting an hourly slot for news headlines. Although, flaming political talk shows and dramas were the main priority when it came to programming, the network soon was hailed for its news coverage.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...

 was enjoying its fifteen minutes of fame that rooted its name prominently in the events folding after the 9/11 attacks but when the war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...

 came to neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan had no decent coverage and the likes of PTV hired people without prior knowledge of journalism to be investigative journalists
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...

. There was a limit as to how much PTV could show on their network. Soon enough, when ARY Digital started broadcasting news covering the Afghan war, ARY Digital was hailed for their efforts.

This one-screen TV business grew into a network of channels beaming into over 130 countries, but have not yet launched its transmissions in Australian
Australia (continent)
Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands...

 continent. The network however, at present, undoubtedly stands as one of the fastest growing Asian television networks in the world.

The network was successful in acquiring a license for DTH operations in Pakistan, considered a milestone for media in the ever-growing broadcast television market of Pakistan. Since then the network started to commit itself to the continuous development of Pakistan’s media market. The network now boasts a potential market size of more than 20 million households.

The ARY Group
ARY Group
The ARY Group is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob. Abdul is the Chief Executive Officer and owner of the Group...

, owners of the network, announced the launch of the ARY Digital Tower
ARY Digital Tower
The ARY Digital Tower is a 45-floor tower in the Dubai Media City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Construction of the ARY Digital Tower was expected to be completed in 2009. It is used by the ARY Group, a media company of Pakistan.-External links:*...

, one of the tallest media buildings in the UAE. The project is to stand a mammoth 44 to 45-storey broadcasting tower that will house the studios and corporate-head office of all the network’s operations. Construction of the tower, overseen by esteemed Adnan Z. Saffarini of Dimensions Engineering Consultants, is expected to end by 2008.

ARY pioneered and set standards in television programming in Pakistan and all over the world. In 2002, The ARY Star Gold Quiz Show set new standards in the game-show broadcast history being the first live show ever which was offering a hefty prize of one kilogram of gold. For the period of its transmission, participants won over 260 kilograms of gold, undoubtedly the highest stakes of any game-show in the history of South Asian Television. Partly due to the ban on Indian channels around the time, it has helped the channel grow popular by the day. The network in 2005 obtained the rights to show Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...

 on its sister music channel, The Musik
The Musik
ARY Musik is a 24-hour Urdu-English music channel from Pakistan.Originally created and launched from Dubai in 2003 under the leadership of the CEO Salman Iqbal and multiple Award Winner VP Wiqar Ali Khan...

. The channel also held rights to the Who Wants to be a Millionaire franchise for Pakistan.

As most of the network's programming is acquired through private production houses from within Pakistan and some based in UAE, where people aren't that much in verse with the latest trends in distribution and quality, the network began to be criticized. This led the network to segment its programming into specialized channels whereby, for instance, having a dedicated channel for news coverage where they excelled leaving behind areas that needed dire attention on the flagship channel.

At present, the network has four different coverage areas around the world: ARY Digital Asia, ARY Digital Middle East, ARY Digital UK/Europe and ARY Digital USA beamed at from the UAE. It has acquired and set up 1,200 premium-rate lines for its call centres to facilitate users.

Although, its operations involve the mission for the betterment of the image of Pakistanis both resident and living abroad, the network has tagged along regional events programming from neighbour India to boost its ratings. In January 2005, the annual Bollywood Music Awards held in Dubai were premiered on the networks flagship channel ARY Digital where celebrities from both the countries managed to gather under one roof. The awards sparked a new interest in the India-Pakistan affairs regarding media policies and ushered a new era of friendly cross-industry work.

To further hook users to the box, the network acquired exclusive rights to showcase all International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...

 cricket tournaments in the European markets. Another deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board
Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board is a sporting organization that is responsible for governing all professional cricket including Test cricket and One Day International matches played in Pakistan...

 (PCB) led the network into rightful broadcast of all PCB matches from the year 2003 to 2008.

On October 18, 2007 most of the ARY news team, covering former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...

 Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....

's arrival from exile, were killed by one of two explosions. Pictures of the victims were shown live on the news hour and prayers were observed. Bhutto was later escorted safely to an official government house.

Programs

  • Aaghaz
  • Agar Tum Mil Jao
  • Aik Jhalak
  • Ariel Kamiyabi Ki Recipes
  • Baat Niklay Gi To
  • Black and White
  • Bulbulay
    Bulbulay
    Bulbulay is a family sitcom about a typical Pakistani family, the problems they face and all sorts of trouble they get into. It airs every Sunday at 7:30 PM on ARY Digital...

  • Championz
  • Chupa Rustam
  • Chup Chuppa Kay
  • Deen-o-Duniya
  • Documentary
    Documentary film
    Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

  • Dum Hai
  • Focus With Faiza
  • Fun of the week
  • Global Guts
  • Good Morning Pakistan
  • Insight With Javed Malik
  • Iqra
  • Jaal
    Jaal
    Jaal may refer to:* Jaal * Jaal * Jaal * Jaal: The Trap...

  • Janam
    Janam
    Janam is a 1985 Hindi film directed and written by Mahesh Bhatt. It is one of the autobiographical films Bhatt created in the early part of his career.-Overview:...

  • Kasia Yeh Jonoon
  • Khwaish
    Khwaish
    Khwaish, or so called Khwaahesh, was an Indian soap opera that aired on Sony Entertainment Television from Monday - Thursday at 7:30pm and on ARY Digital from Monday - Thursday at 9:30pm. It was telecasted in India and Pakistan. The serial concluded quickly due to its falling popularity...It is...

  • Koi Tou Barish
  • Kuch Ankhahi Baatein
  • Lines of Style
  • Loose Talk
    Loose Talk
    Loose Talk was a British youth orientated chat show which ran for two series on Channel 4 in 1983. It was presented by Steve Taylor, along with a different guest presenter each week....

  • Love Tarrot
  • Luvalicous
  • Maala
    Maala
    Maala is a town and commune in Bouïra Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 5,806....

  • Main aur Tum
  • Manzil
    Manzil
    Manzil is the word for one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Qur'an is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week.They are:# Al-Fatihah through An-Nisa' # Al-Maida through At-Tawba...

  • Marina’s Morning
  • Mehmaan by zafar mairaj
    Zafar Mairaj
    Zafar Mairaj born on 11 October 1968, at Quetta, Balochistan, is an acclaimed Pakistani drama writer, lyricist, and short story writer. He primarily writes in Urdu, but has also written in Brahui, and Balochi. He has written more than 50 dramas i.e...

  • Mom Show LIVE
  • Muqadas by zafar mairaj
    Zafar Mairaj
    Zafar Mairaj born on 11 October 1968, at Quetta, Balochistan, is an acclaimed Pakistani drama writer, lyricist, and short story writer. He primarily writes in Urdu, but has also written in Brahui, and Balochi. He has written more than 50 dramas i.e...

  • News @ 11
  • Professional Cooking Made Easy by Soya Supreme
  • Sarkar Sahab
  • Sound Check
  • Ultra Sound
  • Waqt
    Waqt
    Waqt is the Urdu and Arabic word for Time. It may also refer to:* the time schedule for Muslim prayers, see Salat times* Waqt, song from the Pakistani rock band Entity Paradigm* Waqt, a 1965 film directed by Yash Chopra...

  • Wedding Planner
    Wedding planner
    A wedding planner is a professional who assists with planning and organization of weddings. Weddings are significant events in people's lives, and those involved are often willing to spend a considerable amount of money to ensure it is organized as perfectly as possible.Professional wedding...

  • Yeh Waada Raha

Affiliate programming

Recently ARY Digital has affiliated with several other television networks to promote their content in Pakistan. Amongst these are Fashion TV
Fashion TV
Fashion TV is an international fashion and lifestyle broadcasting television channel. It was founded in France in 1997 by its Polish-born president Michel Adam Lisowski, Fashion TV is the only 24/7 international TV network exclusively dedicated to fashion, beauty, glamour and style and has become...

 for which a regional channel FTV Pakistan has been airing since December 2005 on the ARY Digital network. Plans are under way for Al Jazeera Urdu
Al Jazeera Urdu
Al Jazeera Urdu is a forthcoming channel from Al Jazeera. It is an Urdu language version catering mainly to Pakistan and possibly Urdu-speaking areas in India. It is offered as part of the ARY Digital Network....

 in affiliation with Al Jazeera targeting 110 million Urdu-speaking households worldwide and HBO Pakistan in association with HBO's south-Asian division. With the network's help, Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

 is also planning to kick-start its operations in Nick Pakistan where it would be beamed into 2.5 million households with kids. With so much international diversity under the network's belt, Salman Iqbal, the global CEO and president of ARY Digital network feels confident that the network is bringing international quality to Pakistan's growing market.

Specialized programming

By 2004, ARY Digital had started up three sister ventures apart from the flagship channel ARY Digital, channels targeting generalized programming. They include: ARY News, a 24hr news channel; ARY Musik, a channel aimed at the younger generation featuring the latest from the Pakistani music scene & ARY Qtv
ARY Qtv
ARY Qtv is a Pakistani television channel with a Sunni religious focus, producing programs mainly focusing on the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama'at school of thought in Ummah. It is part of the ARY Digital Network. The channel has shows featuring well-known scholars such as Dr...

, a religious service. With these four channels under its belt, the network viewership grew by folds over the coming years and ARY Digital would often then call itself the premium entertainment provider in the region.

Recently, the network announced two more channels, namely the Shopping Channel, a 24 hour home shopping channel and The City Channel focusing on concerns of everyday life in the metropolitan districts that fall under its coverage area.

Arrivals Series

A new documentary series called the Arrival Series started being viewed and aired from 5 February 2010. Episodes aired on Fridays and Saturdays. The documentary has also been uploaded previously on Youtube and the official site.

Continental programming

In 2004, ARY Digital divided its broadcasts in such a way, that each Continent had different programming at different times, to better facilitate the audience.
The Channels were split as follows:
  • ARY Digital Asia
  • ARY Digital UAE
  • ARY Digital UK/Europe
  • ARY Digital USA

ARY Digital Asia

This version of the Channel is free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...

, as channels in the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...

 are usually free-to-air . Unlike other versions of the Channel, ARY Digital Asia, features a wider variety of Programmes and shows. Many of which may include foreign programmes including Hollywood and Bollywood movies, Indian TV shows, for example Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi
Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi is an Indian stunt/dare reality game show based on Fear Factor. It was originally created by Endemol and the first episode aired on July 21, 2008 on Colors...

 is one of the Indian TV shows currently being aired.

ARY Digital UAE

ARY Digital UAE is also free to air, but the programming is limited to Pakistani programmes only, this includes ARY Digital's exclusive Dramas and TV shows, this is because UAE's local Channels own the rights for American and English shows and films.
Indian programmes are also not broadcast on the UAE version, this is because the Original Indian channels Broadcast the Programmes on their own Channel.

ARY Media Advisory Board

At the turn of events leading to the emergency in December 2007, Salman Iqbal, CEO of the network announced along with the ARY Digital network committee the establishment of a media advisory board, the purpose of which would be to assess the media coverage (be it news or other programmes) on the network. Saying that ARY Digital has been reporting without bias for a while but the recent events ushering the emergency rule and temporary closure of one of the biggest news network Geo TV, ARY Digital required a better unbiased coverage. He concluded that an array of government leaders could weigh the coverage presented by the network on the basis of its rationality and coverage so that the media portrayed by the network was in verse with the way Pakistan is supposed to be imaged. The board would have seats for 20 members, each focusing on different aspects of media would provide their views on how media should be portrayed.

Criticism

For a brief moment in 2003, ARY Digital received criticism upon its airing of a prisoners derogatory comments against the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC-3) and a video showing balded young girls behind bars
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...

 begging for mercy. The contempt of court proceedings against the officials of the network were withdrawn after the judge accepted the unconditional apologies of all the contemners.

See also

  • ARY Television Network
  • ATN ARY Digital
    ATN ARY Digital
    ATN ARY Digital is a Canadian Category B Urdu language specialty channel that is owned by Asian Television Network . It broadcasts programming from ARY Digital, a popular television channel from Pakistan, and Canadian content. It has a wide variety of programming which includes sports, news, talk...

     (Canada)
  • ARY News
  • List of Pakistani television stations
  • 2007 Karachi bombing
    2007 Karachi bombing
    The 2007 Karachi bombing of October 18, 2007 in Karachi, Pakistan, was an attack on a motorcade carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The bombing occurred two months before she was assassinated...

  • QTV

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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