Morocco’s  Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et Télévision (SNRT), a public broadcasting company, recently acquired a stake in a leading European news channel. It became the latest shareholder of Euronews at a general assembly of the channel’s shareholders in Paris, says a company statement.
 
SNRT, a member of the European Broadcasting Union, now owns 0.33 percent of the holding company, SECEMIE. It has also joined the 22 existing shareholders from Europe and the Mediterranean on Euronews’ editorial board.
 
The catalyst for the arrival of the new Moroccan shareholder was the introduction last July of an eighth language to Euronews – Arabic. The Arabic language initiative is supported by the Arab States Broadcasting Union and is a topic of great importance for SNRT and the channel’s other Arabic shareholders, says the release. 
 
“I am pleased to welcome SNRT, whose managing director, Sir Ayad, was beside us when we launched in Arabic at the Arab World Institute in July to the Euronews fold,” says Philippe Cayla, chairman and CEO of Euronews. “SNRT will be instrumental in promoting Euronews in Arabic. Together with Morocco and our other Arabic partners, we will continue to develop the channel and contribute to strengthening the ties between Europe and the Mediterranean region.”