Sky News Arabia has rolled out live streaming of its news broadcast for Apple iPhone and Android smartphone devices as it continues to develop its multimedia offering. The live streaming for Sky News Arabias iPhone and Android smartphone apps comes in addition to the live streaming already available on the channels native iPad and Android […]
Sky News Arabia has rolled out live streaming of its news broadcast for Apple iPhone and Android smartphone devices as it continues to develop its multimedia offering. The live streaming for Sky News Arabias iPhone and Android smartphone apps comes in addition to the live streaming already available on the channels native iPad and Android tablet apps.
The convergance of communications, internet and mobile technology and the rapid rise of social media are changing the broadcast industry, from the way news is gathered to how its delivered and consumed, Nart Bouran, Head of Sky News Arabia, said.
Speaking during a discussion held at Sky News Arabias studios about the impact of technology on the broadcast news industry, Bouran continued: It is no longer enough for media organisations to have the largest network of bureaus and journalists; as important if perhaps more important is the need to embrace technology and keep pace with the evolution of information technology in order to keep audiences interested and engaged.
From social media to the spread of smart phones and tablet PCs to the increasing availability of mobile internet and mobile data packages, technology is giving users the ability to access news and information anytime, anywhere from the palm of their hand. Mobile apps are a key part of this and at Sky News Arabia we see this as a tremendous opportunity to stay engaged with our audiences wherever they may be and to deliver the news in the format and via the platforms they prefer.
Thair Soukar, Head of Digital Strategy at Sky News Arabia added: Sky News Arabia was launched with a core aim of providing breaking news to Arabs across the region as it happens and across multiple platforms to match their need for mobile communication. In developing our technology, we noticed a gap in the market in the availability of native, good quality Arabic news apps, particularly for Android devices. We created our applications with all mobile audiences in mind and have so far received very positive feedback from our users. We will continue to develop our apps in line with the latest technology to ensure an efficient and interactive user experience for all.
Sky News Arabia has launched mobile apps for various operating systems, including iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Blackberry and Nokia. The applications were created as native versions rather than mobile versions of the web site to ensure a better user experience and seamless integration with the users mobile device.
The iOS and Android apps were particularly designed to be advanced. Some of the key features include an interactive map for news, 3-D photo galleries and a 48-hour timeline of top news stories as well as the ability to share stories via Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Another important feature of the mobile app is the live streaming, which has recently been added to the iPhone to match the iPad and Android applications, allowing users to watch high quality broadcast of the channel while on the go.
Android and Apple iOS devices make-up some 95% of the smartphone and tablet market in the Middle East. With our live streaming for phones and tablets on both of these operating systems we have the ability to reach practically all users across the region who have access to mobile data and would want to watch Sky News Arabia while on the move, Soukar explained.
