Thebes Channel

For the unrelated Sudanese television channel, see Tayba TV.

The Thebes Channel (Arabic: قناة طيبة), also known as Channel 8 (القناة السابعة), is one of the six regional channels of the National Media Authority. The channel is based out of Aswan and targets the southern governorates: Suhag, Qena, Al Uqsur and Aswan.

History

In 1995, work was underway for the establishment of the Aswan channel. Shebab Tageldin, who worked for Channel 5 Alexandria at the time, went to Aswan to provide technical training for its staff.^[1] The channel was in its testing phase in 1996,^[2] started test broadcasts in October 1993^[3] starting full-time broadcasts on 31 May that year. As of 2002, the channel broadcast for a daily average of 15 hours and 22 minutes, the least out of the six regional channels.^[4]

The channel caters mostly to the Arab population in the area. Airtime referring to Nubians is limited to brief segments in its programming, which is spoken in Arabic.^[5]

Photos of six former staff members were placed atop the elevator at its ground floor in 2021 on occasion of its 25th anniversary.^[6]