DUBAI (Reuters) - Arabs may dislike U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East but when they want to indulge in some escapism, many turn to American popular culture, which has taken Arab television screens by storm in the last three years.
Free-to-use satellite channels show little else but U.S. sitcoms, chat shows and real-time news broadcasts like ABC's "Primetime." The American shows are subtitled in Arabic and cut out kissing or other scenes considered sexually provocative.
Saudi-owned Middle East Broadcasting Center has expanded from its main Arabic news and entertainment channel, MBC 1, to include a channel dedicated to Hollywood movies, MBC 2, and another showing U.S. sitcoms and talk shows, MBC 4.
In Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, One TV was launched in late 2004 and offers the same mix of American fare. Like the other stations, it does not disclose how much the channel costs.
The three channels have become hugely popular across the Arab world and advertisers are chomping at the bit to buy air-time because of their growing audience in affluent Gulf Arab countries, media analysts say.
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