Future Television

Future Television, commonly known as Future TV, is a Lebanese free-to-air television station established in 1993 by Rafic Hariri, the Lebanese businessman, politician, and former prime minister who founded the Future Movement. The channel developed as both a commercial broadcaster and a political-media platform, generally reflecting the views of the Future Movement and the wider Hariri family political project. Its programming combined news, political discussion, entertainment, locally produced shows, imported formats, and content directed at Lebanese and Arab audiences. The station expanded beyond Lebanon during the 1990s. It began experimental satellite broadcasting in October 1994 through Arabsat 1D, followed soon afterward by the launch of Future International on an Arabsat 2A transponder. Satellite distribution allowed the channel to reach Lebanese communities and Arabic-speaking viewers throughout the Arab world and in diaspora markets including Europe, North America, and Australia. Future Television subsequently operated or promoted regionalized services, including terrestrial Lebanese programming, an international feed, and feeds intended for viewers in the Americas and Australia. Future Television became known for a broad entertainment portfolio. Its programming included the Arabic adaptation of SuperStar, a version of the Pop Idol format, as well as comedy, quiz, talent, modeling, talk, and news programs. Among its recognizable shows were Sireh wo infatahit, a discussion-oriented talk program, and Khaleek bill bait, a long-running interview program featuring artists and intellectuals from the Arab world. The station also broadcast Arabic adaptations of formats such as The Weakest Link and Cash Trapped. Alongside entertainment, its news and political output reinforced its position as an important Lebanese partisan broadcaster. The channel experienced operational disruption during the 2008 Lebanon conflict. Broadcasting was forced to stop on 9 May 2008 after the station's facilities were affected by the conflict. Future Television moved its broadcasting headquarters and returned to the air on 13 May, later resuming operations from its original offices on 16 May. Its news-oriented sister channel, Future News, ceased operating on 20 August 2012 and was folded into or replaced by the main Future Television operation. Another associated service, Zein TV, targeted younger adults but was later discontinued for reasons that were not clearly documented in the available reference material. Financial pressure became decisive in the late 2010s. In September 2019, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced the suspension of work at the satellite television operation after 26 years, citing financial difficulties and a commitment to settle employees' wages. The decision followed broader problems affecting Hariri-associated businesses and media properties, including the closure of the Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. Despite the suspension of satellite operations, Future Television continued limited terrestrial transmission, including reruns, in order to preserve its Lebanese broadcasting license. The available material therefore describes a station that remains present in a restricted terrestrial form while its broader satellite and original programming operations have been substantially curtailed.

Future Television was founded in Lebanon in 1993 by Rafic Hariri, whose political organization, the Future Movement, later became closely identified with the station's editorial orientation. The broadcaster entered the Lebanese media market as a free-to-air channel offering a mixture of general entertainment, news, political discussion, and locally relevant programming. Its ownership was reorganized in 1996 in accordance with Lebanon's new audiovisual law, creating a structure involving approximately 90 shareholders. The station's principal period of expansion came through satellite distribution. In October 1994 it conducted trial broadcasting over the Arabsat 1D footprint. Future International followed soon afterward on an Arabsat 2A transponder. Satellite carriage enabled Future Television to reach viewers throughout the Arab world and Lebanese communities in the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The brand consequently developed an international profile alongside its domestic Lebanese service. The available material also identifies separate terrestrial, international, and America-and-Australia-oriented services. Future Television's schedule included news and political programs as well as entertainment formats adapted for Arabic-speaking audiences. Its output included SuperStar, an Arabic version of Pop Idol, comedy and sketch programming, quiz formats based on The Weakest Link and Cash Trapped, modeling content, and the Alakhbar news program. Sireh wo infatahit became one of its best-known discussion programs, while Khaleek bill bait was described as its longest-running show and featured interviews with Arab artists and intellectuals. These programs helped the channel appeal to a broad family audience while its political content maintained its connection to the Future Movement. The channel's operations were interrupted during the 2008 Lebanon conflict. It closed on 9 May, relocated its broadcasting headquarters, and returned to the air on 13 May at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time. It returned to its original premises on 16 May. Future Television also operated associated services. Future News provided news and political programming until it shut down on 20 August 2012, after which its role was folded into the main channel. Zein TV, aimed at younger adults, was another associated channel that was eventually discontinued, although the available account does not establish a definitive reason. By the late 2010s, the channel was affected by financial problems linked to the wider difficulties of Hariri-associated enterprises. In September 2019, Saad Hariri announced that work at the Future TV satellite channel would be suspended after 26 years. He cited the financial burden of continuing operations and stated that employee wages would be settled. The announcement came alongside the closure of the Al-Mustaqbal newspaper and followed the collapse or dissolution of Saudi-Oger, a major business associated with the Hariri family. Future Television nevertheless continued limited terrestrial broadcasting, primarily through reruns, to retain its Lebanese license. Its present status is therefore best characterized as active in a restricted terrestrial form, rather than operating as the full satellite network that existed during its peak.

• 2019

  Satellite television operations are suspended

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  Saad Hariri announced the suspension of satellite-channel work because of financial difficulties, while limited terrestrial transmission continued.

• 2012

  Future News is discontinued

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  The sister news channel shut down on 20 August and its role was merged into the main Future Television operation.

• 2008

  Broadcasting is interrupted during the Lebanon conflict

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station closed temporarily on 9 May, resumed transmission on 13 May after relocating its broadcasting headquarters, and returned to its original offices on 16 May.

• 2003

  Terrestrial service expands in digital format

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  The terrestrial service was broadcast in digital television format from Doha.

• 1996

  Ownership is restructured under Lebanese audiovisual law

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  Future Television reorganized its ownership and reportedly moved to a structure with approximately 90 shareholders.

• 1994

  Trial satellite transmission begins

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  Future Television began experimental satellite broadcasting over the Arabsat 1D footprint.

• 1994

  Future International is launched

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  The broadcaster expanded its international reach through a Future International service on Arabsat 2A.

• 1993

  Future Television is founded

  [1]Future TVen.wikipedia.org

  Rafic Hariri founded the Lebanese free-to-air television station, which became closely associated with the Future Movement.

A Lebanese Arabic-language broadcaster combining general entertainment, news, political discussion, and diaspora-oriented satellite distribution, with a long-standing association with the Future Movement.

• Terrestrial television channel

  Future TV Terrestrial

  The localized Lebanese service targeted a broad domestic and family audience. It carried Future Television's general programming, including entertainment, news, political discussion, and reruns. The terrestrial operation continued in a restricted form after the suspension of the satellite channel, primarily to maintain the broadcaster's Lebanese license.

• International satellite television channel · 1994

  Future TV International

  Future International was developed for Lebanese and Arabic-speaking viewers outside Lebanon, particularly in the Arab world and Europe. It expanded the brand's reach through satellite distribution and later carried archived Future Television programs after the broader suspension of satellite operations.

• Diaspora television feed

  Future TV America & Australia

  This feed was intended for Lebanese viewers and other Arabic-speaking audiences in the Americas and Australia. It formed part of Future Television's effort to serve the Lebanese diaspora through geographically oriented satellite distribution.

• News television channel

  Future News

  Future News was a sister channel dedicated to news and political programming. It closed on 20 August 2012, after which its content and function were incorporated into or reorganized under the main Future Television brand.

• Youth-oriented television channel

  Zein TV

  Zein TV was an associated service aimed at younger adults. Its programming reportedly addressed Arab youth interests and included discussion-based content. The channel was later discontinued, but the available reference does not specify a confirmed closure date or reason.

• 2019

  Suspension of satellite-channel operationsStrategy

  Background

  The Hariri family's media interests faced severe financial pressure, including difficulties associated with Saudi-Oger and the closure of the Al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

  Action taken

  Saad Hariri announced that work at the satellite television channel would be suspended after 26 years and that employee wages would be settled.

  Aftermath

  The broader satellite operation stopped, while limited terrestrial broadcasting and reruns continued to preserve the Lebanese license.

  Source

• 2012

  Future News is merged into the main channelStrategy

  Background

  The group operated a separate news and political channel alongside its main general-interest station.

  Action taken

  Future News was shut down on 20 August and its news role was brought into the main Future Television operation.

  Aftermath

  Future Television became the principal surviving channel for the group's news and political output.

  Source

• 1996

  Ownership restructuring under audiovisual regulationStrategy

  Background

  Lebanon's new audiovisual law required broadcasters to adjust their ownership arrangements.

  Action taken

  Future Television reorganized its ownership and reportedly adopted a structure involving around 90 shareholders.

  Aftermath

  The reorganization allowed the station to continue operating within the post-law Lebanese broadcasting framework.

  Source

1. 1Future TVen.wikipedia.org