Alhurra Television on Sunday will launch Al Youm ('Today' in Arabic), a ground-breaking live new television show originating simultaneously from five countries in three continents.

The three-hour program, which will originate simultaneously from Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem and Alhurra’s headquarters in Springfield, US, will provide viewers a window to the world through its coverage of the latest news from the Middle East, the US and the world.

Alhurra is operated by the non-profit corporation, The Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), which is financed by the US Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency.

Al Youm presents straightforward news in a relaxed, engaging environment. The program will include interviews with everyone from politicians to athletes; leaders in business and the arts.

It will discuss topics such as health, entertainment news, sports, technology, social and cultural issues, said a BBG official.

It will also include a daily feature “Internet Corner” where viewers get a chance to participate in the discussion by sending in their questions to be included on air.

Al Youm airs Sunday through Thursday, 4pm to 7pm (GMT) throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

“Al Youm is a natural next step as Alhurra increases its audience engagement and advances technologically,” said BBG governor Joaquin Blaya.

“Al Youm is an excellent complement to the programming that is on Alhurra and will be the cornerstone of our prime-time programming,” he noted.

“We wanted to test our limits to have a program that was not only technologically-advanced but also engaging for the viewers. The audience will contribute to the dynamism of the show and tie it to the issues of today,” stated Fran Mires, Al Youm’s executive producer.

“Al Youm takes the viewers beyond the headlines to show how these stories impact the lives of those people affected.”

Located in Dubai’s Media City, Al Youm is co-anchored by Jessy Trad and Ahmed El Naggar, who are joined by Mona Wehbi in Beirut, Amr Khalil in Cairo and Eman Haddad in Jerusalem, along with news updates from Alhurra’s headquarters outside of Washington, DC.

Recent surveys of the Middle East by research companies such as ACNielsen show that Alhurra has a weekly reach of an estimated 26 million adults, the official said.-TradeArabia News Service