LIVE FROM THE STUDIO Al Arabiya saw a rise in traditional
viewing in 2020, but it
still keeps to a multiplatform strategy
FEED: Ruba and Carl, does that resonate with you? Did you see more engagement with traditional broadcast news from the public?
RUBA IBRAHIM: Definitely, the viewership has skyrocketed for the conventional TV screen. Normally, it was more on the digital platforms than theTV screen. Now, people are at home.They are confined. So the families – for the first time in I don’t know how many years – are together, watching the news. But at the same time, the viewership on our digital platforms has never been higher. People are interacting big time with all platforms at the same time.The ones that were at the top during this pandemic were the ones that provided the best content. CARL SWANSTON: Our ratings were really good in the month of March and April.We were literally in breaking-news mode for about two months. So not only did we have the pressures of all the regular things, but our staff were required to work harder than they’ve ever worked. But what I’m wondering is, what happens after all this has passed? Are we going to lose our audience to a fundamental change in work-life balance? Since Covid, people are reading more, they’re engaging in family games. I’m just wondering, are people going to turn the page on news a bit and focus on other things?That’ll be interesting to track.
“ONE POSITIVETHINGABOUT 2020 IS IT’STHEYEAR OFTHE RETURN OF TRADITIONAL BROADCAST NEWS”
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