Qatar TV 2
| Country | Qatar |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Middle East and North Africa |
| Headquarters | Doha, Qatar |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Arabic |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Qatar Media Corporation |
| History | |
| Launched | 1982 (first version) 23 July 2020 (second version) |
| Links | |
| Website | qtv.qa |
Qatar TV 2, historically known as Channel 37, is a Qatari television channel owned by Qatar Media Corporation. Its past version largely catered at expats living in Qatar while its current version mainly airs archived content.
History
First version (Channel 37)
Qatar Television launched its Second Program in 1982, which was nicknamed Channel 37 due to its frequency.[1] As with other like-minded second channels operated by state broadcasters in the Gulf region, the channel mainly broadcast in English; by the early 1990s, broadcasts began in the late afternoon hours and ended at midnight.[2][3] Programming mostly included American and Indian series and movies. The channel closed on 27 July 2014; the reasons for which are unknown.[4]
Second version
Qatar Media Corporation relaunched the channel on 23 June 2020. Unlike the previous version which was dedicated mainly to sports and foreign programming, the new version airs archived programming from Qatar Television's archives. The channel was planned before 2020.[5]
Planned revival of Channel 37 (as a standalone channel)
In October 2021, QMC announced that it would relaunch Channel 37 likely as a standalone channel. It was going to emulate the format of the Second Channel's prior version, aimed at expatriates, and would air a mixture of original and acquired foreign programming. The number 37, which was the frequency of the former channel, was used in this iteration to represent "the optimal and healthy temperature of the human body". At the time, the channel's staff was being composed, and was preparing a launch night special featuring recollections from viewers who remember watching the original Channel 37. It was meant to launch in the third quarter of 2022, but would be launched earlier under an emergency plan. The relaunched service would also employ 4K and OTT technologies and cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[1]
It is not known what happened to the linear channel plan. It was reported that Channel 37 was producing videos as of June 2024.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b "QMC to launch English TV 'Channel 37' by 3rd quarter next year". Qatar Day.
- ^ Qatar Country Handbook (pdf). p. 11.
Qatar Television's second channel (channel 37, UHF) broadcasts programs in English from late afternoon until midnight.
- ^ Abu Jalalah, Fatma Ali (1993). The cultural dimension of teaching English as a foreign language in an Arab Gulf State (pdf). Durham University. p. 15.
...Channel 37, transmits only in the English language, where a considerable number of English films and series are shown daily.
- ^ "Fifty-two years on: Qatar TV celebrates anniversary". Doha News.
- ^ "Qatar 2 TV Channel goes on air". The Peninsula. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ Dana Club Newsletter June 2024
External links
- Official Website (in Arabic)
- Qatar TV 2 on Facebook