Arab Sat TV service popularity isn't matched by ad revenues.

What Arab audiences in the Middle East want to hear most on television is news--uncensored, direct and without commentary--and they are getting it in full measure from the new, year-old Middle East Broadcasting Center based in London.

MBC, according to its executives, is doing well and its viewership is expanding so rapidly that, within the near future, it is expected to take over from the Egyptian satellite channel as the prime supplier of international news to the Arab region. MBC also is transmitted by satellite. It is currently on the air for 10 hours each day (12 on Fridays) and news is broadcast in three half-hour segments each day, in addition to fiveminute hourly bulletins.

MBC, which is not scrambled, can be received by anyone with a dish. In addition, three countries--Morocco, Bahrein and Kuwait--now carry MBC on their official government frequency. Other neighboring countries, where TV news is strictly controlled and often slanted, can pick up these signals without a problem.

The popularity of the station is growing steadily, according to an MBC spokesman, even though no rating comparisons are available. The station offers six daily satellite feeds from its own correspondents, from Washington, to Paris, Moscow and even Israel.

It is adding commercial sponsors steadily but is not yet in a profit position. Plans are afoot to test the MBC service in the U.S. (Washington and New York) on cable, taking into account the very large number of Arab-speakers in various U.S. cities.

MBC is owned by Walid alIbrahim, whose sister is married to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Still, even with that connection, conservative Saudis aren't permitting MBC to be carried by their government stations although the King has publicly praised the service provided by the upstart network.

MBC's program schedule, while news-focused, offers a wide array of shows, including movies, series, health programs, shows on women's affairs and even a travel program. Most of the material is produced by MBC itself, but the network also obtains material from the Middle East, and from Britain and the U.S. It recently showed The Ninja Turtles in dubbed version. Most "foreign" programs are carried in English with subtitles since it's argued that so many Arabs speak English and prefer to hear programs in that language.

According to Ibrahim, the MBC audience is growing steadily and, once Jordan, Tunisia and Lebanon join other countries in carrying MBC on their official channels, it could well reach beyond the 100 million mark. Still, profitability isn't around the corner. Ibrahim said he is prepared to invest more than $300 million in the service before it shows a real profit, which probably won't be for another five years. Limited surveys establish the popularity of MBC. A Kuwait poll, for instance, showed that 77 per cent of all viewers there were tuned to MBC news, with only six percent watching the government channel.

Broadcasting to all of the Middle East is made easier for two main reasons: 1. The language is basically the same, and 2. Name brands tend to be identical in various countries, which means that commercials are effective all over, a fact that is recognized by a number of large international organizations like Ford, Toyota, Coca Cola, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever.

The parent company of MBC this year purchased the American United Press International News Service, rescuing it from oblivion. MBC officials view the move as a very positive and practical one for their station.

The broadcaster, currently in 1,400 square foot quarters in London, expects to move to a much larger space within a couple of months.

Nick Hart, who handles MBC's public relations from London, U.K., said the station was receiving a great many letters from Middle Eastern viewers, and that it had a program providing a chance for those letters and views to be aired.

Transmissions generally start at two in the afternoon, with a reading from the Koran, followed by a variety of children's shows. MBS also carries documentaries with an emphasis on Islamic art, along with sports and science shows. Even the world of fashion is covered. About 15 per cent of its overall programming is devoted to news in various forms, including discussions and current affair round-tables.