Al-Manar
A Lebanese television broadcaster owned and operated by Hezbollah, combining news, political commentary, religious programming and entertainment.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Al-Manar, meaning “The Lighthouse” in Arabic, is a Lebanese television broadcaster associated with Hezbollah and based in Beirut. It began terrestrial broadcasting on 4 June 1991 from the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, near Hezbollah’s organizational headquarters. Initially operating for only a few hours each day, the station expanded its staffing, transmission coverage and daily schedule during the 1990s. It became an important communications channel for Hezbollah, particularly through its coverage of the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, Lebanese elections, Palestinian affairs and regional conflicts. The broadcaster’s domestic position was initially uncertain. During Lebanon’s 1996 effort to regulate the television sector, many stations were closed or denied licenses. Al-Manar was eventually granted a Lebanese broadcasting license, reportedly following political intervention, and continued to expand its terrestrial reach. Its programming developed beyond news into talk shows, religious material, music videos, drama, children’s programs and other general-interest content. The station’s editorial identity remained strongly political, however, presenting Hezbollah’s worldview, emphasizing armed resistance to Israel, and promoting narratives centered on Shiite religious identity, Lebanese nationalism and opposition to U.S. and Israeli policy. Al-Manar moved into satellite broadcasting in 2000, initially to reach audiences beyond Lebanon and to compete with the rapidly expanding Arab satellite television sector. The launch coincided with Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the beginning of the Second Intifada, circumstances that helped increase its visibility across the Arab world. Satellite distribution later enabled the channel to reach audiences in the Middle East and beyond, although providers in several countries removed it or declined to carry it because of its political content and legal restrictions. The station has also maintained an online presence, including multilingual material and Spanish-language translations intended for audiences in Latin America. The channel is widely described by researchers and governments as a major component of Hezbollah’s media system and as a vehicle for political communication and propaganda. Its output has included news bulletins, interviews with politicians and analysts, religious programs, documentaries, dramas and music videos praising Hezbollah, its military activity or its dead fighters. It has used material from international news agencies as well as content from Iranian and Syrian state media. A cooperation arrangement with Iran’s official news agency was reported in the 2010s, while the station has also rebroadcast or adapted foreign television and film content. Al-Manar has repeatedly been affected by conflict and regulation. Israeli forces attacked its facilities during the 1999 air raids and again during the 2006 Lebanon War. In 2006, the broadcaster continued transmitting after strikes damaged its Beirut complex, at times using undisclosed locations. The attacks prompted condemnation from press-freedom organizations, while Israeli journalists’ representatives argued that the station’s employees should not be treated as ordinary journalists because of its relationship with Hezbollah. The channel has also been prohibited or restricted in the United States, France, Spain and Germany, and has encountered carriage or licensing difficulties in countries including Canada, Australia and the Netherlands. A major editorial controversy arose from Al-Manar’s coverage of the 2011–2013 Bahrain unrest. After criticism within the Arab broadcasting community, the Lebanese Communication Group apologized in late 2013 for partisan coverage, and Al-Manar’s director general, Abdallah Qasir, resigned under pressure from Hezbollah. In later years the station continued to focus heavily on Iran, Hezbollah, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and regional conflicts. Following the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani by the United States, its programming sharply criticized U.S. policy and presented the event through an explicitly pro-Iranian and pro-resistance framework. Al-Manar remains an active Lebanese broadcaster whose audience, distribution and legal status vary by country. Its importance lies less in conventional commercial broadcasting than in its role as a political, ideological and mobilization platform for Hezbollah and allied causes. Audience and budget estimates have varied considerably by year and source; the channel has been described as reaching millions of viewers globally, but reliable current audience figures are not established here.
History
Al-Manar was established as a terrestrial television station in Beirut on 4 June 1991. Its early facilities were located in Haret Hreik, in the southern suburbs of the capital and close to Hezbollah's headquarters. The channel initially broadcast for approximately five hours per day and employed a relatively small staff. Within about a year, staffing had expanded substantially. Before the 1992 Lebanese parliamentary election, Al-Manar added regular news bulletins, using television to broaden Hezbollah's political message and support its electoral activity. During the next several years the station extended both its schedule and its terrestrial signal. By 1993 it was broadcasting for seven hours a day and had improved coverage in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Additional antennas installed before the 1996 election extended reception into northern Lebanon and Mount Lebanon, as well as parts of western Syria and northern Israel. The schedule expanded to 20 hours in 1998, was adjusted to 18 hours in 2000 and reached 24-hour operation in 2001. Lebanon's postwar broadcasting regulations created an uncertain environment for the station. In 1996 the government granted licenses to only a small number of television channels and required many others to close. Al-Manar was initially excluded, but later received a license after political lobbying. The license was issued in July 1997. During this period the channel developed a distinctive editorial style: journalists were embedded with Hezbollah fighters, reports highlighted Israeli casualties, and some content used Hebrew in an effort to reach Israeli viewers and influence public opinion. The station established a website in 1999, initially featuring recordings of speeches by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accompanied by religious and nationalist material. Its international ambitions grew as satellite television became central to Arab media. Al-Manar announced its satellite plans in March 2000, received approval soon afterward and brought the service forward to coincide with Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon on 25 May. The launch also coincided with the Second Intifada, helping the channel attract viewers throughout the Arab world. Distribution arrangements with ArabSat and other providers enabled broader reach, though the satellite version was adapted in some respects for a pan-Arab audience. Al-Manar's international growth produced both visibility and resistance. It was removed from or denied carriage by multiple providers, beginning with a notable withdrawal from an Australian service in 2003. New agreements with smaller providers later restored access in some markets. The broadcaster also expanded its web operation, adding online video and multilingual services. By the middle and late 2000s, its output included Arabic, English and French television material, with Spanish-language web content subsequently made available for Latin American audiences. The channel was repeatedly affected by armed conflict. Israeli air raids in June 1999 destroyed an Al-Manar-related radio facility in Baalbek. During the 2006 Lebanon War, Israeli aircraft struck Al-Manar's Beirut complex on 13 and 16 July. Employees were injured, buildings were damaged and transmission briefly disappeared at points, but the station continued broadcasting from locations that were not publicly identified. Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern about attacks on media facilities, while Israeli journalists' representatives disputed whether Al-Manar qualified for the protections normally associated with independent journalism because of its relationship with Hezbollah. Al-Manar's programming has always combined political communication with entertainment and religious content. Analyses of its output have identified news, talk shows, dramas, music videos, children's programs and family programming. Its political material commonly focuses on Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, the United States and armed resistance. Music videos and short interstitials have frequently celebrated Hezbollah and its dead fighters, encouraged resistance to Israel or criticized U.S. and Israeli policy. The channel has also broadcast imported Iranian and Syrian dramas and films, and it has used news material from international agencies as well as Iranian and Syrian state sources. A formal cooperation agreement with Iran's IRNA news agency was reported in 2012. The broadcaster faced a significant editorial controversy over its coverage of the Bahrain unrest that began in 2011. In late 2013, the Lebanese Communication Group apologized at a meeting of the Arab States Broadcasting Union for partisan treatment of the crisis. Hezbollah subsequently compelled director general Abdallah Qasir, a former Hezbollah parliamentarian, to leave his post; he later went to Iran. This episode illustrated the tension between Al-Manar's role as a partisan political outlet and its participation in regional broadcasting institutions. In the 2020s, Al-Manar has remained focused on Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Palestine and regional conflict. After the United States killed Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, the channel adopted an especially aggressive anti-U.S. line and emphasized demands for retaliation. During the Gaza war that spread to southern Lebanon in 2023, the station reported the death of camera operator Wissam Qassim in an Israeli airstrike in Hasbaya. Al-Manar continues to operate as a politically aligned Lebanese television and digital media platform, although its availability differs by jurisdiction because of sanctions, terrorism designations, broadcasting rules and satellite-provider decisions.
- 2023
Camera operator killed in southern Lebanon
[1]Al-Manar reports the death of camera operator Wissam Qassim during Israeli airstrikes in Hasbaya.
- 2013
Bahrain coverage controversy
[1]The broadcaster's parent communications group apologizes for partisan Bahrain coverage and its director general resigns.
- 2006
War damage and continued transmission
[1]Israeli strikes hit Al-Manar facilities during the Lebanon War, but the broadcaster remains on air from alternative locations.
- 2001
Twenty-four-hour schedule
[1]The satellite service reaches continuous daily broadcasting.
- 2000
Satellite service launched
[1]The channel begins satellite broadcasting to reach audiences beyond Lebanon.
- 1999
Website established
[1]Al-Manar launches an online presence featuring speeches and related political and religious material.
- 1997
Domestic license granted
[1]The station receives a Lebanese broadcasting license after the country's television-sector reorganization.
- 1991
Terrestrial launch
[1]Al-Manar begins terrestrial television broadcasting from Beirut on 4 June.
Products and positioning
A politically aligned Lebanese television network and Hezbollah media platform, presented as a resistance-oriented broadcaster while also offering general entertainment, religious content and regional news.
Broadcast television · 1991
Al-Manar terrestrial television
The original Lebanese terrestrial service, launched in 1991, provides Arabic news, political coverage, religious material, entertainment and programming focused on Lebanese and regional affairs. Its signal expanded across Lebanon during the 1990s.
Satellite television · 2000
Al-Manar satellite channel
Launched in 2000, the satellite service extends Al-Manar's reach across the Arab world and to international audiences. It has used multiple satellite providers and signals, although carriage has been withdrawn or restricted in several jurisdictions.
Digital media · 1999
Al-Manar online services
The broadcaster's website and online video services supplement television output with news, speeches, program material and multilingual content. Spanish-language material has been produced for circulation in Latin America.
News programming · 1992
Al-Manar news and current affairs
News bulletins and political discussion programs cover Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Syria, the United States and regional conflicts. The output reflects Hezbollah's political perspective and frequently frames events through the concept of resistance.
Controversies
2013
Controversy over Bahrain coverage
Al-Manar and its associated Lebanese communications group were criticized for partisan coverage of Bahrain's unrest. The group apologized at an Arab States Broadcasting Union meeting, and director general Abdallah Qasir resigned after Hezbollah pressure.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006War coverage from alternative locations
Lebanon · Middle East · International satellite audiences
During the 2006 Lebanon War, Al-Manar continued its news and political coverage despite repeated attacks on its facilities.
Outcome. The channel remained on air and reportedly gained prominence among regional viewers seeking Hezbollah-aligned coverage of the conflict.
- 2000Satellite expansion around the southern Lebanon withdrawal
Middle East · Arab diaspora audiences
Al-Manar accelerated its move to satellite broadcasting to coincide with Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon and to reach audiences beyond its terrestrial footprint.
Outcome. The timing helped the channel gain visibility during the withdrawal and the Second Intifada, establishing it as an international Hezbollah media outlet.
Brand decisions
2013
Apologize for partisan Bahrain reportingOtherBackground
The broadcaster faced criticism from the Arab States Broadcasting Union over its treatment of the Bahrain crisis.
Action taken
The Lebanese Communication Group issued an apology, followed by the resignation of director general Abdallah Qasir.
Aftermath
The episode reinforced the channel's reputation as a partisan political broadcaster and demonstrated Hezbollah's influence over its leadership.
2000
Launch satellite broadcastingProduct launchBackground
The growth of satellite television in the Arab world created pressure for Lebanese broadcasters to develop international distribution.
Action taken
Al-Manar introduced a satellite service and expanded it from a limited daily schedule toward continuous broadcasting.
Aftermath
The channel reached a much broader regional audience, while later facing carriage restrictions and removals in several countries.
Recent events
- 2023
Al-Manar camera operator is killed in southern Lebanon[1]
Other
Al-Manar reported that camera operator Wissam Qassim was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Hasbaya alongside employees of Al Mayadeen during the Gaza war's spread to southern Lebanon.
- 2020
Al-Manar intensifies criticism of U.S. Iran policy after Soleimani killing[1]
Other
Following the U.S. killing of Qasem Soleimani, the channel devoted sustained coverage to condemning U.S. policy and presenting the event as a regional act requiring retaliation.
- 2006
Al-Manar facilities are hit during the 2006 Lebanon War[1]
Other
Israeli strikes damaged the broadcaster's Beirut facilities and injured employees, but Al-Manar continued transmitting from alternative locations.
- 2003
Satellite providers remove or restrict Al-Manar[1]
Regulation
A number of international satellite and distribution providers stopped carrying the channel as legal and political objections intensified.
- 2000
Al-Manar launches satellite broadcasting[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The broadcaster expanded from terrestrial transmission to satellite distribution, initially with limited daily programming before moving toward round-the-clock service.
- 1999
Israeli air raids destroy an Al-Manar facility[1]
Other
An Israeli air campaign damaged or destroyed Al-Manar-related facilities in Lebanon, including a radio station building in Baalbek.
- 1997
Al-Manar receives a Lebanese broadcasting license[1]
Regulation
After Lebanon reorganized and restricted the television sector, Al-Manar obtained a domestic broadcasting license.
- 1991
Al-Manar begins terrestrial broadcasting[1]
Product launch
The station began broadcasting from Beirut as a terrestrial channel associated with Hezbollah.
Sources2 sources
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