NICOSIA, CYPRUS – SAT-7 Christian TV supports churches in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by making God’s Word available across borders and offering programs in the languages of the region.
Whether those borders are geographic, generational, cultural, or linguistic, SAT-7 has continued to grow over the past 22 years. Using four main satellite channels, SAT-7 current reaches 24 million viewers in 25 countries stretching from Morocco across North Africa and the Middle East all the way to the edges of the South Asia subcontinent.
This week SAT-7 released its annual report for 2018 in which it shared the status of the ministry’s reach and growth through each channel. The overview of each channel and the testimonies of viewers are clear indications of the Lord’s blessing on the SAT-7 outreach efforts. Here’s a quick thumbnail synopsis of those blessings by channel.
SAT-7 ARABIC
An independent survey of representative Arabic households revealed that about 30 million people are aware of the channel. Actual viewership is about 16 million. Forty-two percent of those who are viewers watch SAT-7 ARABIC at least once a week.
Somewhat surprisingly, nearly 70% of all viewers are age 30 or younger, indicating the interest among young families.
SAT-7 PARS
The channel directed to the Iranian people was especially blessed with a significant increase in viewer response rates, including a 15% increase in Facebook responses, a 27% increase in YouTube subscribers, and an amazing 44% increase in telephone calls to the channel.
Responses to the SAT-7 PARS channel from viewers in Afghanistan doubled during 2018. In addition to broadcasting in Farsi, the ministry also offers programming in the Dari and Tajik dialects.
In 2018, the channel began adding sign language supplements to several programs and launched a new website that “enables viewers to tune into live streams of programs and watch full series of popular programs on-demand.”
SAT-7 TÜRK
The SAT-7 TÜRK channel recorded over 1.5 million video views on Facebook, a 73% increase in YouTube hours watched, and a three-fold increase in calls to the station. Sixteen percent of the calls were requests for Bibles, while prayer requests and questions about Christianity each accounted for 27%.
The channel launched three new programs designed to encourage women oppressed by discrimination.
In addition, SAT-7 TÜRK began providing the first live program “presented by young adults and for young adults” ever broadcasted in Turkey. The program features live interaction from viewers through either telephone or text and is a forum for discussing topics relevant to young believers who desire to grow in their faith.
SAT-7 KIDS
The audience for SAT-7 KIDS grew to 5.6 million in 2018, a 21% increase from 4.6 million in 2017. The parental response indicates that more than 80% of parents believe the programs on SAT-7 are beneficial for their children.
A team of SAT-7 KIDS channel workers visited churches in Tartu, Bloudan, and As-Suwayda to work directly with children who are victims of the trauma of the Syrian civil war. Their mission was to remind the children “that they are always part of Jesus’ family.”
Social media responses for this channel included a 51% increase in Facebook comments throughout the year.
SAT-7 has proven that, by the power and decree of God, closed doors can be opened and that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church and the spread of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
To learn more about SAT-7 read the Missions Box articles, “25 Afghans Trust Christ While Watching Satellite TV Broadcast” and “SAT-7 KIDS Marks a Decade of Christian Programming to Some of World’s Most Closed Countries.”
The complete 2018 Annual Report is available at this link.
To read more news on Christian Broadcasting on Missions Box, go here.
Sources:
- SAT-7, Annual Report for 2018
- SAT-7, Hope Crosses Borders
Image Source:
- Bbbremi [CC BY-SA 3.0]