Brian Conniff, president of the Middle East Broadcasting Network (MBN), the non-profit that controls Hurra and Sawa, recently reiterated his belief in the potential of the Al-Hurra satellite station, reports Trading Markets. The Arabic language satellite TV station beams into 22 countries in the Middle East from its headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, and claims to cater to all audiences by offering news, talk shows and an array of documentaries.

Conniff explains that the channel has come a long way in the hearts and minds of Arab audiences since its inception. “There was a lot of bias against the launch, but in five years I think we have gone a long way to overcoming that, by just demonstrating we had a good, solid product. Our audience has steadily grown and we are starting to hit our stride," he says.

He adds that being funded by the US does not mean the channel is subject to the whims of the government. Conniff further argues that USG funding does not necessarily entail bias in favor of America, and he recommends that viewers watch the channel and draw their own conclusions, instead of blindly following critics.

Conniff cites Al-Hurra’s recently launched “Al-Youm” as one example of the quality of programming the BBG channel currently offers. “Al-Youm” is a three hour primetime show broadcast simultaneously from Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem and Virginia. According to Al-Bawaba, the show tackles regional and international news, and economic, cultural and social issues, and blends them seamlessly into entertainment, sports, technology and human interest stories.

Conniff labels “Al-Youm” as "a natural extension of the growing sophistication of the Arab media market.” Viewers of “Al-Youm” seem to genuinely support the show, and praise its unique and original approach to news programming. Conniff asserts that “Al-Youm” has considerably lifted the public standing of Al-Hurra in a short time.

One of the anchors of the show, Engy Anwar, is making news herself for being the first woman to report live from Mecca during the Hajj, according to the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

"The Hajj is an essential part of any Muslim’s life and of keen interest for our audience. In addition to reporting on the events each day, “Al-Youm's” coverage will focus on the personal stories of the people participating in the Hajj," stated “Al-Youm” Executive Producer Fran Mires.

Recent surveys of the Middle East by research companies such as ACNielsen show that Al-Hurra has an estimated weekly reach of 27.7 million viewers. Al-Hurra is broadcast on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites in the Middle East and the Hotbird satellite system in Europe.