Nickelodeon Arabia

Nickelodeon Arabia
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon logo.svg
Launched July 16, 1996 (old version)
July 23, 2008 (relaunch)
Owned by MTV Networks (Viacom)
Sister channel(s) MTV Middle East
Availability
Satellite
Nilesat 7°W 10775 H
Arabsat 26°E 12169 V

Nickelodeon Arabia was a satellite, free-to-air channel for Arab children, teens and adults. It was the Arab arm of Nickelodeon and the last remaining arm to retain the older 'splat' design.

It was the second channel in the joint venture between MTV Networks International and Arabian Television Network, part of Arab Media Group, the largest media group in the United Arab Emirates, after the successful launch for MTV Arabia (now known as MTV Middle East).

As of 2011, it was the only Nickelodeon channel not to change its logo after the parent company's 2009 rebrand. Since late 2010, the channel had been suffering a frozen broadcast, broadcasting its usual programmes repetitively without any evidence of upcoming updates. Its official website is currently down, and there were no clear indications or citations for why the channel was heavily neglected. Regardless, the channel remained live for many months in 2011.

On 8 September 2011, at one minute past midnight in U.A.E. time, and without a mainstream warning the channel went on an indefinite hiatus without any explanation. The broadcast signal initially displayed nothing but a static message indicating Nickelodeon Arabia's viewers to continue watching Nickelodeon programmes via the Nickelodeon block on MBC 3. The signal then reverted to a casual test card a few days later.

Rumours surfaced had indicated that the channel is not defunct, but is being reworked (probably including the newer typographical logo in the process) and be re-launched at an undetermined date. Some reports also indicate there is a possibility the channel will return as a scrambled signal, only accessible by subscription via Orbit Showtime. Reasons for this remain unclear, but it was reported that the channel's Emirati owners have filed for bankruptcy, and resold the Nickelodeon franchise back to Europe. All this information remains rumour though.

Contents

Programming

The animated shows featured on Nickelodeon Arabia are all dubbed into Arabic, and there had been no means of switching between audio languages. The live-action shows are only subtitled in Arabic, but this only applies to the TeenNick shows. Any other feature produced by Nickelodeon Arabia's own studio is also in Arabic.

Most of the shows were outdated, old series, although they are considered fairly never-before-seen by most of the Arab audience at one time, in either their English or Arabic formats. There are even several series yet to debut on Nickelodeon Arabia, with exemption of The Fairly OddParents, which apparently already settled on the Middle Eastern Disney Channel.

Like most Arab channels, Nickelodeon did feature censorship, but this is by far limited to simply scenes of French kissing, although any mention of said kisses are retained. This was similar to the censorship on MTV Arabia.

Shows that were last broadcast

Nicktoons

TeenNick

Nick Jr.

Former shows

Ramadan

Catch Match

Catch Match is a new program being Arabic children's channel Nickelodeon during the holy month of Ramadan, which is provided by the crown shared by assistants from each team. The Albornameh It is a wrestling take place between the two teams. The two teams have to collect the largest number of points qualify to win. In the end, the winner gets the grand prize! Each team consists of four people (two girls and two boys of the same age). The team in each episode six challenges, and games are the first four games while the fifth is a regular puzzle game, and competition is intense and has no limits of fun and games is somewhat puzzling. In each game the team gets a set of points. When the collection of points into two teams in wrestling Alkatc Match is the most difficult challenge in the game, which will be the two teams over several stages, at the end of each stage have access to a banner or flag, and therefore, gets the team that collected the largest number of flags in the shortest period of more points. In the last game is collect points and win the team that won the highest title of hero and have won the challenge. Displays Catch Match on Thursday and Friday at 9 Bbahaptoukat Arabia, and returned twice at 17 and at 22 GMT

External links