# Orbit Communications Company

Orbit Communications Company was a privately owned pay television network headquartered in Bahrain. Owned by Saudi Arabia–based Mawarid Holding (via Digital Media Systems), it was the first fully digital, multi-channel, multilingual, pay television service in the Middle East and North Africa and was also the world's first fully end-to-end digital TV network. Launched in 1994, it was originally situated in Tor Sapienza, Rome, Italy as the location was considered entirely suitable to build a satellite farm. Orbit employed around 600 employees who were largely a combination of British and Italian staff with several Arabic speaking nations also represented. Orbit broadcast in several languages around the world including English, Arabic, French and Filipino.
Some of Orbit's Arabic channels including Bahrain TV, Al Safwa, Fann, Al Yawm, Cinema 1, Cinema 2, Mousalsalat and Mousalsalat +2 and are available throughout North and South America through myTV.
In 2009, to better compete with growing popularity of free-to-air channels and online videos, the company merged with Showtime Arabia to form OSN.

## Technology

Orbit had launched four multi-function interactive decoders:
* XD 200-Humax
* XD 200-Technosat
* XD 300-Philips
* XD 400-Humax (PVR - Personal Video Recorder)
This allowed the following features:
* 2-level parental control (Channel & Rating).
* 7-day bilingual electronic program guide.
* 22 radio channels of music & news & entertainment.
* Arabic subtitles & multi-lingual audio on selected channels.

## Channel lineup

* Promotional & Free go air:
** Marhaba TV (defunct)
** TVMAX Promo (defunct)
** Orbit Promotional Channel (replaced by Marhaba TV)
** Orbit Express Shop (defunct)
** OSN Promotional Channel
* Movies:
* Arabic movies:
** ART Aflam 1 (defunct)
** ART Aflam 2 (defunct)
** ART Cinema (defunct)
** Cinema 1 (formerly Al Oula)
** Cinema 2
** Rotana Cinema
** Rotana Comedy
** Rotana Classic
* Foreign movies:
** Star Movies
** Super Movies (defunct)
** Super Movies +1 (defunct)
** Cinema City (defunct)
** Cinema City +1 (defunct)
** Cinema City +2 (defunct)
** MGM (defunct)
** Xtra Movies (defunct)
** Xtra Movies +2 (defunct)
** Cine TV (defunct)
** Film World (defunct)
** Turner Classic Movies
** MBC 2
** MBC Max
** MBC Action
* Sports:
** Edge Sport
** Bahrain Sports 1
** Bahrain Sports 2
** KSA Sports 1
** KSA Sports 2
** Al Riyadiyah 1 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 2 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 3 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 4 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 5 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 6 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 7 (defunct)
** Al Riyadiyah 8 (defunct)
** Abu Dhabi Sports 1
** Abu Dhabi Sports 2
** Abu Dhabi Sports 3
** Abu Dhabi Sports 4
** Orbit ESPN (defunct)
** Orbit Sports (defunct)
** Orbit Sports 1 (defunct)
** Orbit Sports 2 (defunct)
** Orbit Sports 3 (sefunct)
** Orbit Sports 4 (defunct)
** Orbit Sports 5 (defunct)
** BeIN Sports
** BeIN Sports News
** BeIN Sports NBA
** BeIN Sports Premium
* Kids and documentary and culture:
** Fun Channel (defunct)
** Nickelodeon
** Nick Jr.
** Nicktoons
** Disney Channel
** Disney Junior
** Disney XD (formerly Toon Disney)
** Spacetoon
** BabyTV
** CBeebies
** The History Channel
** The History Channel 2
** National Geographic
** National Geographic Abu Dhabi
** Nat Geo Wild
** Discovery Science
** Discovery Channel
** Discovery ID
** Crime Investigation Network
* News:
** Orbit News (defunct)
** Orbit News 2 (defunct)
** CNBC
** CNN International
** CNBC Arabiya
** Bloomberg Television
** Sky News
** Sky News Arabia
** France 24
** Al Arabiya
** Al Hadath
** Al Jazeera
** Al Jazeera English
** Al Jazeera Documentary
** Fox News
** BBC Arabic (defunct)
** BBC World News
* Music:
** MTV 00s
** MTV Live
** Music Now
** Fann
** Rotana Music
** Rotana Clip
** Rotana Khalijiah
** Wanasah (defunct)
* Series and lifestyle:
** Al Safwa (formerly Al Thania)
** Al Yawm (formerly Al Thalitha)
** Fann
** ART Hekayat (defunct)
** ART Hekayat 2 (defunct)
** Arabic Series Channel
** Arabic Series Channel +4 (defunct)
** Arabic Series Channel +2
** Super Comedy (defunct)
** Super Comedy +2 (defunct)
** America Plus (defunct)
** America Plus +2 (defunct)
** Star World
** E!
** The Hollywood Channel (defunct)
** Hollywood Star! (defunct)
** Fashion TV (defunct)
** TLC
** BBC Prime
** BBC Earth
** BBC First
** BBC Lifestyle
** MBC 1
** MBC 4
** MBC 5
** Abu Dhabi TV
** Emarat TV
** Sharjah TV
** Dubai TV
** MBC Masr
** MBC Masr 2
** Bahrain TV
** Bahrain International
** Bahrain Lawal
** Bahrain Quran Kareem Channel (defunct)
** Saudi TV
** SBC
** Saudi Quran Kareem Channel
** Qatar TV
** AlRayyan TV
** TV5Monde Maghreb-Orient
* Pay-per-view:
** TVMAX 1 (defunct)
** TVMAX 2 (defunct)
** TVMAX 3 (defunct)
** TVMAX Sports 1 (defunct)
** TVMAX Sports 2 (defunct)
** TVMAX Sports 3 (defunct)
** Showtime TVMAX (5 channels) (defunct)
** OSN On Demand (formerly Show On Demand)
* Pinoy:
** NBN Pinoy News (defunct)
** PBO: Pinoy Box Office (defunct)
** GMA Pinoy TV (defunct)
** GMA Life TV (defunct)
** Hollywood Star! (defunct)
* Lebanese:
** LBCI (defunct)
** Tele Liban (defunct)
** Aghani Aghani TV (defunct)
** MTV One Lebanon (defunct)
** Alfa:
** Al Thalitha (replaced by Al Yawm)
** Al Oula (replaced by Cinema 1)
** Al Thania (replaced by Al Safwa)
** The Series Channel
** The Series Channel +2
** The Series Channel +4 (defunct)
** Cinema 1
** Cinema 2
** Fann
** Music Now
* Radio:
** Monawa't (defunct)
** Tarabiya't (defunct)
** Khalijya't (defunct)
** BBC World Media Service (defunct)
** Radio Rotana
** GMA DZBB
** Radio Mosaic
** BBC World Service Arabic
** BBC World Service English
** Monte Carlo Doualiya
** Al Jazeera Radio
** Sky News Arabic
** GMA DZBB
** DWLS FM
** Radio Bahrain Arabic
** Radio Bahrain English
** AFN Bahrain FM
** BFBS Bahrain
** The Voice Of Ummah
** BBC Radio 3
** BBC Radio 4
** MBC FM
** Panorama FM
** Al Arabiya FM
** Mood FM
** Quran Kareem FM
* Free-to-air:
Up to 500 and more Free-to-air television and radio channels (including Arabsat, Nilesat and Hotbird, based on type of connection).

## Orbit ESPN removal

On 1 April 2008, after being on the air since 1994, Orbit ESPN was dropped from the Orbit lineup. This left Orbit without coverage of the NCAA, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the National Football League, NASCAR, IndyCar Series, major golf and tennis tournaments or ESPN's action sports franchise, X Games.
Fox Sports replaced Orbit ESPN on 13 January 2009.
One of the reasons that break the contract with ESPN is the severe financial problems happened at that time, since 1999-2000 the production graph line has been moved down. In 2009, a major delay in paying salaries for orbit employees in Egypt, Lebanon and KSA for more than four months.

## BBC Arabic television

BBC Arabic Television was originally transmitted via Orbit from 1994 until April 21, 1996, when it was taken off air by Orbit after the channel broadcast an episode of the BBC Panorama program critical of the Saudi Arabian government. Many of the BBC Arabic Television staff then went to work for Al Jazeera. The BBC has since relaunched the channel autonomously in 2008.

## Orbit packages

(The Following Packages are Orbit's Main Packages) (Packages May differ from Country to Another)
* Super Mega: Super Mega includes all Arabic and Western Orbit TV channels. Plus, 22 Radio channels and 4 TV MAX channels.
* Super Prime: Super Prime includes only Orbits' Western channels, plus NBA TV, Al Riyadiyah, Music Now, MTV Arabia. Plus, 22 Radio channels and 4 TV MAX channels.
* Alfa: Includes all Orbits' Arabic channels, plus CNN International and Music Now. Plus, 22 Radio channels and 4 TV MAX channels.
* Family: The best in Family entertainment: Al Safwa, Al Yawm, Fann, Music Now, Arabic Series Channel, MTV Arabia, Fun Channel, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Playhouse Disney, Toon Disney, Disney Channel, Spacetoon, Nickelodeon, The History Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, CNN International, Bloomberg Television, Euronews, CNN International, Al Riyadiyah, NBA TV, Hollywood Channel (Zone Club), BBC Prime, Super Comedy, Discovery Travel & Living, 4 TV MAX channels. Plus, 22 Radio channels.
* Pinoy Plus: The best in Filipino programming: GMA Pinoy TV, NBN Pinoy News, GMA Life TV. Plus, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, MGM Movies, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, Hollywood Channel (Zone Club), Fashion TV, Music Now, Trace TV, MTV Arabia, CNN International, NBA TV, 22 Radio channels and 4 TV MAX channels.
* Kids: The package includes the best in kids entertainment, documentary channels and sports channels: Fun Channel, Playhouse Disney, Toon Disney, Disney Channel, Spacetoon, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, The History Channel, NBA TV. Plus, 22 Radio channels and 4 TV MAX channels. (Kids package is only available as a second subscription only).

## Showtime Arabia merger

On 12 July 2009, Showtime Arabia and Orbit Communications Company announced a merger that created the “biggest Pay-TV platform” in the Middle East and North Africa.
The newly formed company, which is called OSN, is an equal partnership that would offer 70 exclusive channels featuring new movies, sports, series, Arabic content and international shows.
New customers can subscribe to packages featuring Showtime Arabia and Orbit's programs, while existing subscribers will be able to either retain or upgrade their content. The company will offer HD channels, video on demand and other interactive services.