The London-based satellite television company Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) is planning to launch a second channel by spring 1995, part of its overall strategy to expand its coverage to four channels.

The company offers 12 hours of mainly news and current affairs on a single channel. This should be increased to 15 hours a day by the end of the year, and then to 24 hours a day in early 1995. The second channel to be launched will show children's programmes, and the other channels will offer entertainment, films and news, current affairs and sport. MBC plans to make all the channels available by the end of 1995.

A study of viewing figures carried out by the Dubai-based Pan Arab Research Centre, showed that MBC had 27.5 million regular viewers in the Middle East.