2M TV

2M TV is a Moroccan television service. It was established by the royal-owned conglomerate, ONA, before being partly sold to the Moroccan state. Today 20.7% of 2M is owned by Mohammed VI's holding company SNI.^[1] While approximately 60% is controlled by the Moroccan state.

It is based in Casablanca. It is available free of charge locally on digital signal with coverage over all Morocco and on satellite television via Globecast, Nilesat and Arabsat.

2M offers services in Arabic, French, and Berber.

Background

2M was set up as a second national television channel with the aim of promoting competition and diversity in Moroccan audio-visual broadcasting.

2M started its programmes officially on March 4, 1989. It used to be a cable channel broadcasting uncoded twice a day. After 7 years of activity, SOREAD (ONA group), the major shareholder, withdrew from the management of this TV channel due to financial reasons. The Moroccan state took over the control of 2M with a participation of 68% in its capital. This takeover was supported by a major effort to develop the audio-visual sector.

Radio 2M is the companion radio channel to 2M, presenting music, news, and information directly from Morocco in Arabic and French.

Content

2M challenged taboos by debating controversial issues and established a reputation for itself as a symbol of freedom of speech in Morocco. The channel regularly broadcasts news, films, sports and music. It is now a government-controlled public TV station and has close under-the-table ties with influential parts of the Moroccan political power structure (the Makhzen). 2M has been used by the government as an indirect means to attack independent newspapers such as Le Journal.

2M has two different channels, a local analog channel and a satellite channel whose name is (since 2007) 2M Monde (an imitation of the name "TV5 Monde"), which means 2M World. Both local and satellite/world versions of 2M have the same shows but are aired at different times. 2M Monde does not broadcast Hollywood movies and American TV shows because it only buys their broadcasting rights for within Morocco.

On November 23rd, the TV channel aired in its morning show "Sabahiyat" a segment on how to cover beaten bruises with make up on the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women. Moroccan TV has apolgoized on Monday for airing the segment.^[2]

2M in figures

• Personnel: 500 persons, including 30% executives;
• Coverage: 80% of the population;
• Capital: 302,371,500 Moroccan dirham (€27,008,467 / £18,228,395 / US$36,750,427), including 68% owned by the state and 20.7% owned by Mohammed VI's holding SNI.

Foreign series

List of American and European TV shows broadcast by the local version of 2M (which may change time by time):

American TV shows and Hollywood movies are imported from France with French dubbing. Some Mexican TV shows are dubbed locally in Moroccan Arabic.

Besides American TV shows, 2M TV also airs a few Turkish shows dubbed in Arabic. 2M TV's children's programming schedule also includes foreign TV shows, such as Célestin, Braceface Oggy and the Cockroaches' and 1001 Nights

See also

• Samira Sitail
• Leila Ghandi

References

External links

• 2M website