Addounia TV


Addounia TV is a private television station based in Damascus, Syria since March 23, 2007. The station is described by some western media as "semi-official" and a "mouthpiece of the government." Addounia TV is a sister channel of Sama TV.

Programs

Addounia TV features a variety of general-interest programs. News are aired in five daily bulletins: at 2:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Many other programs are shown on the channel; some of them are:
Addounia TV's current presenters includes:
News anchors: Wafa Al-Douiri and Majed Hermuz.
Other anchors: Roaa Abbas, Evleen Haddad, Kinda Asfoura and Reem Maarouf.
Correspondents which are making also reports for Sama TV: Ahmad al-Aaqel, Kinda al-Khidr, Ata Farhat, Diana Farfour, Kinana Allouche, Leen Tarabishi and Haidar Mustafa.
Notable past presenters now on Sama TV: Nizar Al-Farra, Hanaa Al-Saleh, Dr. Mohammed Abdel-Hamid, Salem Al-Sheikh Bakri, Inas Fadhloun , Toulin Mustafa and Reem Sherkawi.
Other notable past presenters: Salam Ishak, Micheline Azar, Wafa Shabrouni, Rania Thanoun, Khansa Al-Hukmiya, Majed Musallam and Sara Dabbous.

Addounia TV during the Syrian crisis

On September 23, 2011, the Council of the European Union added Addounia TV to its list of sanctioned individuals and entities, on the basis that Addounia TV had "incited violence against the civilian population in Syria. After one months on October 20, 2011 Addounia TV was interrupted on Hotbird.
Addounia TV channel said that the sanctions imposed by the European Union contradict media freedom and the international conventions which protect the freedom of expression.
Addounia TV has suspended on February 5, 2012 its SMS 'Breaking News' service temporarily because it was hacked by the opposition.
The Arab League officially asked the satellite operators Arabsat and Nilesat to stop broadcasting Syrian media, including Addounia TV in June 2012. Syrian State News Agency, SANA, called the move to stop broadcasting a "misleading campaign launched against Syria."
President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview on 29 August 2012 to Addounia TV in which he talked on the local and regional developments. The whole interview is available on YouTube with English subtitles.
On 5 September 2012, Syrian Television Channels broadcast were broken off on Arabsat and Nilesat, including Addounia TV.
Journalist Suheil al-Ali from Addounia TV died on 4 January 2013 after suffering wounds from four days prior when opposition fighters opened fire on him in Damascus countryside while on his way home from work.
On May 16, 2013, the US Department of State included Addounia Television to the US blacklists of sanctions.
On March 25, 2014, Addounia Television broadcasting returned on Nilesat following the channel’s more than 18 months suspension.

Awards