Al Aoula

Al Aoula, meaning “The First” or “Channel One” in Arabic, is Morocco's first public television channel. The network began broadcasting in March 1962 and became the country's first television service to produce and transmit its own programmes domestically. It is headquartered in Rabat and operates as part of SNRT Group, Morocco's state-owned public broadcasting group, alongside channels including Arryadia, Athaqafia, Al Maghribia, Assadissa, Aflam TV, Tamazight TV and Laayoune TV. The channel's origins lie in the Moroccan government's reactivation of facilities associated with TELMA, a television service that had operated during the French Protectorate period between 1954 and 1955. The new Moroccan service adopted the European 625-line television standard rather than TELMA's former French 819-line standard. Initial broadcasting in 1962 was concentrated on Casablanca and Rabat, where existing transmitters could be reused. Coverage expanded to Oujda in January 1964 and then toward Taza and Fez. A pair of relay stations built near Casablanca improved local reception later in 1964, while a relay station in Tangier, completed in January 1965, connected the network to the Eurovision system and enabled Morocco to carry some international events live. During its early years, the service had a limited daily schedule, generally broadcasting from the evening until around midnight, with French-language programming earlier in the evening and Arabic programming later. News and programme supply initially depended partly on foreign agencies, government sources and overseas programme providers. UPI was identified as the station's sole news source before 1964, while programming or features were also supplied through French and United States sources. This early mixture of imported material and locally produced content reflected the limited production infrastructure available to a newly established national broadcaster. Al Aoula introduced colour broadcasting in 1972. For much of its early existence it held a near-monopoly over Moroccan television viewing. That position began to change as 2M developed a larger audience and Morocco permitted the creation of private channels in 1993. The expansion of the television market created stronger competition for audience attention, but Al Aoula retained a substantial domestic role because of its national reach, public-service identity and focus on Moroccan audiences. The channel broadcasts in Arabic, Tamazight, French and Spanish, reflecting Morocco's linguistic environment and its cultural and international connections. Its broad general-interest output includes news, entertainment, comedy, drama and other television programming. In January 2018, Al Aoula was reported to have a daily audience share of 9.2 percent, compared with nearly 36 percent for 2M. The most-watched programmes cited for Al Aoula at that time included the comedy programme Stand-up and the local soap opera Rdat Al-walida. Al Aoula remains an active national broadcaster within SNRT Group. Its role is distinct from the group's more specialized services, such as sports, religious, cultural, international, Amazigh-language and regional channels. The channel's long operating history, nationwide public-service remit and association with Morocco's national broadcasting infrastructure make it a central part of the country's television history, even though the contemporary market is substantially more competitive than the one in which it began.

Al Aoula traces its institutional origins to Morocco's effort to establish a national television service after independence. The government reactivated transmission facilities formerly associated with TELMA, a television operation that had existed during the French Protectorate from 1954 to 1955. Unlike TELMA's use of the French 819-line standard, the Moroccan service adopted the European 625-line standard. The channel began broadcasting in March 1962 under the Moroccan national broadcasting structure. Its initial coverage was limited mainly to Casablanca and Rabat, the two cities where former TELMA transmitters were available. Expansion followed progressively. Oujda was added in January 1964, after which additional infrastructure served the area between Oujda and Fez, including Taza. Reception in Casablanca was strengthened in October 1964 through the construction of two 10-kilowatt relay stations near the city. A relay station in Tangier was completed in January 1965. Its installation connected the Moroccan network to Eurovision and made it possible for the service to transmit selected international events live. The early schedule was primarily an evening service, generally running from approximately 7:30 p.m. until midnight, although the exact closing time and language balance varied. French-language programming occupied part of the early evening, while Arabic programming generally followed later. In its first years the channel relied on a combination of domestic production, government material, foreign news agencies and imported programmes. UPI was described as RTM's only news source before 1964. France supplied a substantial amount of weekly programming, while American material came from private producers and the United States Information Service. One cited example was the Arabic-language USIS feature Arabs in America, broadcast in May 1964. The service introduced colour broadcasting in 1972, an important technical transition in its development. For decades Al Aoula was the dominant and effectively monopolistic television service available to Moroccan viewers. Its position began to weaken as 2M attracted an increasingly large audience and the Moroccan authorities allowed private channels from 1993 onward. This transformed the television environment from a single-channel public system into a more competitive market with multiple national and specialized services. Al Aoula subsequently operated within SNRT Group, the state-owned Moroccan public broadcasting group. The group also includes specialized channels serving sports, culture, international audiences, religious programming, films, Amazigh-language audiences and regional communities. Al Aoula retained the role of a broad national channel, broadcasting in Arabic, Tamazight, French and Spanish and combining news, entertainment, comedy, drama and other general-interest programming. The channel's contemporary performance has been shaped by competition. Figures cited for January 2018 placed its daily audience share at 9.2 percent, compared with nearly 36 percent for 2M. Nevertheless, Al Aoula continued to maintain a recognizable domestic presence through its national public-service mandate and Moroccan-focused programming. Stand-up and the local soap opera Rdat Al-walida were cited among its most-watched programmes at that time. Reference material also states that SNRT acquired 2M in 2025, changing the ownership context of one of Al Aoula's principal historical competitors. Al Aoula remains active as SNRT Group's first channel and as one of Morocco's foundational television brands.

• 2025

  SNRT acquisition of 2M changes the competitive context

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material states that SNRT acquired 2M in 2025, bringing a major historical competitor into the same state broadcasting group as Al Aoula.

• 2018

  Audience share reported at 9.2%

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material cited a 9.2% daily audience share for January 2018 and identified Stand-up and Rdat Al-walida as leading programmes.

• 1993

  Moroccan television market opens to private channels

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  The authorization of private channels ended the earlier period in which Al Aoula operated in a largely monopolistic television environment.

• 1972

  Colour broadcasting begins

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  The channel began broadcasting in colour.

• 1965

  Tangier relay links Morocco to Eurovision

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  A relay station completed in Tangier in January 1965 connected the Moroccan television network to Eurovision and enabled live transmission of international events.

• 1964

  Coverage expands eastward

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  Broadcast coverage reached Oujda in January 1964 and was subsequently extended toward Taza and Fez.

• 1964

  Casablanca relay infrastructure is strengthened

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  Two 10-kilowatt relay stations near Casablanca improved the channel's coverage in October 1964.

• 1962

  National television service begins broadcasting

  [1]Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org

  The Moroccan television service began broadcasting in March 1962 from Casablanca and Rabat, using reactivated facilities associated with the former TELMA service.

A national, general-interest public television channel combining Moroccan-produced programming, news, entertainment and multilingual broadcasting.

• Public television channel · 1962

  Al Aoula general-interest television service

  The core Al Aoula service is a national, general-interest television channel operated within SNRT Group. Its output combines Moroccan news, current affairs, entertainment, comedy, drama and other programming intended for a broad domestic audience. The channel broadcasts in Arabic, Tamazight, French and Spanish, and has historically carried selected live international events through its links to wider broadcasting networks.

• Comedy and entertainment programme

  Stand-up

  Stand-up is a comedy programme identified in reference material as one of Al Aoula's most-watched programmes in January 2018. The available material does not provide enough information to describe its format, presenters, seasons or production history in greater detail.

• Moroccan drama and soap opera

  Rdat Al-walida

  Rdat Al-walida is a local soap opera cited among Al Aoula's most-watched programmes in January 2018. The available reference material confirms its domestic production or local positioning but does not provide further verified details about its cast, plot or run.

• 1993

  Adaptation to a more competitive television marketStrategy

  Background

  Morocco allowed private television channels to be created, while 2M was becoming a stronger audience competitor.

  Action taken

  Al Aoula continued as the national public general-interest service within the expanding multi-channel television environment.

  Aftermath

  Its earlier monopoly ended, but the channel retained a national role and continued to attract viewers through Moroccan-focused programming and its public-service position.

  Source

• 1972

  Transition to colour broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  After a decade of black-and-white broadcasting, the Moroccan public television service adopted colour transmission.

  Action taken

  Al Aoula began broadcasting in colour.

  Aftermath

  The transition modernized the channel's television presentation and technical capabilities, although the available material does not specify the equipment, standards or investment involved.

  Source

• 1962

  Launch of Morocco's first national television channelProduct launch

  Background

  Morocco reactivated former TELMA transmission facilities to establish a national television service using the European 625-line standard.

  Action taken

  The service began broadcasting in March 1962 from Casablanca and Rabat.

  Aftermath

  Al Aoula became the country's first television network to produce and transmit its own programmes domestically and later developed into the principal general-interest channel in the SNRT system.

  Source

1. 1Al Aoulaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Al Aoula official websitealaoula.ma