AL24news

AL24news is an Algerian public international news channel created to project Algeria's perspectives and soft power to audiences beyond the country. The channel was developed during the tenure of Ammar Belhimer as Algeria's minister of communication, who described an international television service as an important element of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's program. Its creation reflected a broader effort to strengthen Algeria's presence in international media and to present the country's positions on regional and global affairs through a dedicated multilingual outlet. A launch ceremony was held on 30 October 2021, a date associated with the 67th anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian War. Regular broadcasting began at midnight on 1 November 2021, using the West Africa Time zone. Salim Aggar, formerly director of the Algerian Cinematheque, became the channel's inaugural director-general. The service broadcasts primarily in Arabic, while also producing substantial French-language programming and a smaller English-language component. The stated content mix is approximately 60% Arabic, 35% French, and 5% English. The channel's editorial output combines rolling news with political debates, interviews, talk shows, documentaries, and thematic magazines. Its coverage addresses Algerian national affairs, international diplomacy, regional conflicts, social issues, public health, tourism, economic and diaspora matters, and cultural subjects. Programs and contributors also discuss Algeria's relations with its diaspora and the country's role in regional and international institutions. Among the personalities associated with the channel are Nohad Belkhadem, host of the weekly Hibdo Show and an interviewer of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Nariman Zakagh, a multilingual anchor and presenter associated with La Grande Émission, and analyst Karim Bouaziz, whose appearances have addressed United Nations resolutions, Gaza and Rafah, migration, diaspora representation, and international political relations. AL24news presents itself as an international-facing Algerian media platform rather than merely a domestic television station. Its multilingual structure is intended to reach Arabic-speaking audiences, Francophone viewers, and a more limited English-speaking audience. In December 2023, it signed a cooperation agreement with Russia's RT Arabic covering information and audiovisual-program exchanges and mutual assistance in television broadcasting. Audience reception has been mixed. A July 2022 assessment by Jeune Afrique reported that the channel had accumulated substantial social-media followings but had not clearly differentiated its editorial offer from Algeria's other public and private television channels. Moroccan pro-government media have also criticized the channel because of its perceived connections to the Algerian state. These assessments illustrate the central challenge of AL24news: it has institutional backing and an explicitly international mission, but must establish a distinctive identity and sustained audience in a crowded news-media environment.

The idea for AL24news emerged as part of Algeria's effort to establish a dedicated international television outlet. Ammar Belhimer, serving as minister of communication, presented the project as a means of projecting Algerian soft power and supporting the country's visibility abroad. The initiative was linked publicly to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's political program and to the objective of giving Algeria a stronger voice on regional and international issues. The channel's official launch ceremony took place on 30 October 2021, commemorating the 67th anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian War. Broadcasting started at midnight on 1 November 2021, the anniversary date traditionally associated with the beginning of the war. Salim Aggar, a former director of the Algerian Cinematheque, was appointed the inaugural director-general. From its launch, AL24news was structured as a multilingual public international news service. Arabic accounts for the majority of its output, with French as the second principal language and English representing a smaller share. Its schedule includes continuous news coverage, discussion programs, interviews, documentaries, and thematic magazines. The editorial agenda covers Algerian political and social affairs as well as international diplomacy, regional crises, migration, public health, tourism, culture, and issues affecting the Algerian diaspora. The channel's programming has included presenters and contributors such as Nohad Belkhadem, host of Hibdo Show, a weekly program focused on Algerian culture, tourism, and diaspora achievements. Belkhadem has also reported on public-health and social topics and has participated in interviews with President Tebboune. Nariman Zakagh has worked as an anchor and presenter, including on La Grande Émission, after beginning at the network as a trainee. Karim Bouaziz has contributed analysis of United Nations resolutions, the Gaza and Rafah conflicts, migration-related political tensions, and diaspora lobbying. In December 2023, AL24news entered a cooperation agreement with RT Arabic. The arrangement provided for the exchange of information and audiovisual programs and mutual assistance in television broadcasting. The agreement added an international institutional dimension to the channel's partnerships while also placing it within a wider network of state-linked international broadcasters. Early reception was not uniformly positive. A July 2022 Jeune Afrique assessment described the channel's audience performance as mixed and argued that its programming had not yet separated itself clearly from Algeria's numerous private and public television services. The same assessment noted reported social-media followings but questioned the channel's ability to capture sustained attention among Algerian viewers. Moroccan pro-government media have criticized AL24news over its perceived relationship with the Algerian state. These responses reflect the channel's dual identity: it is both a news service competing for audiences and an instrument of Algeria's public diplomacy. Its long-term significance depends on whether its multilingual international mission can produce a distinctive editorial brand and reach audiences outside Algeria.

• 2023

  Cooperation agreement with RT Arabic

  [1]AL24 Newsen.wikipedia.org

  AL24news and RT Arabic agreed to cooperate through information and program exchanges and broadcasting assistance.

• 2021

  International channel project advanced

  [1]AL24 Newsen.wikipedia.org

  The Algerian communication ministry promoted the creation of an international television channel as part of the country's effort to strengthen its media presence abroad.

• 2021

  Official launch ceremony

  [1]AL24 Newsen.wikipedia.org

  A ceremony marking AL24news's launch was held on 30 October, two days before regular broadcasts began.

• 2021

  Broadcasting begins

  [1]AL24 Newsen.wikipedia.org

  AL24news started broadcasting at midnight on 1 November in Arabic, French, and English.

A state-linked Algerian international news channel using Arabic, French, and English programming to present Algerian perspectives and cover regional and global affairs.

• Broadcast news · 2021

  Multilingual television news service

  AL24news's core offering is a public international news channel broadcasting mainly in Arabic, with French-language programming and a smaller English-language service. Its output combines rolling news, current-affairs coverage, interviews, debates, documentaries, and thematic magazines, with an emphasis on Algeria's national positions and regional and international developments.

• Talk show and cultural magazine

  Hibdo Show

  A weekly variety program hosted by Nohad Belkhadem. The program focuses on Algerian culture, tourism, lifestyle subjects, and achievements of the Algerian diaspora, extending the channel's schedule beyond hard-news coverage.

• News and current-affairs program

  La Grande Émission

  A program associated with anchor and presenter Nariman Zakagh. It forms part of AL24news's broader current-affairs and presentation slate, although detailed launch and programming information is not specified in the available references.

• 2023

  Broadcasting cooperation with RT ArabicStrategy

  Background

  AL24news sought international cooperation consistent with its role as an outward-facing Algerian news channel.

  Action taken

  The channel signed an agreement with RT Arabic covering information and audiovisual-program exchanges and mutual assistance in television broadcasting.

  Aftermath

  The agreement expanded AL24news's formal broadcasting relationships. The available references do not document measurable audience or financial effects.

  Source

1. 1AL24 Newsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2AL24news official websiteal24news.com