MTA International
TypeNon-profit
Country
International
AvailabilityWorldwide
MottoReaching the Corners of the Earth
HeadquartersBaitul Futuh Studios
OwnerAl-Shirkatul Islamiyyah
Launch date
January 7, 1994 (1994-01-07)
Official website
mta.tv

Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International (MTA), a globally-broadcasting, nonprofit satellite television network and a division of Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah,[1] was established in 1994[2] and launched the world's first Islamic TV channel to broadcast globally. It serves as the official media outlet for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, based in Islamabad, Tilford and funded entirely from donations by the members of the community. The network operates ten 24-hour channels for different regions of the world, including terrestrial TV as well as satellite television.[3]

History

Initial Launch

MTA, the first TV channel to broadcast Islamic programmes globally, was established by Mirza Tahir Ahmad, then-Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. MTA's first channel was launched on 31 January 1992, broadcasting the weekly Friday Sermon. On 7 January 1994, AMP was rebranded to MTA and increased its daily broadcasting hours from four to 12 hours, and in April 1996, to 24.[4] Initially, the studio and video library shared a 10 by 10 ft (3.0 by 3.0 m) room in the Mahmood Hall of Fazl Mosque equipped with a single video camera and "few ordinary flood lights".[4]

MTA 3 Al-Arabiya Launch

On 23rd of March 2007. MTA 3 Al-Arabiya was launched, which was an entirely Arabic channel, primarily for viewers of the Middle East.[5]

MTA Africa launch

On 1 August 2016, MTA Africa 1 and 2 were inaugurated by Mirza Masroor Ahmad,[6][4] broadcasting programmes in African languages as well as programmes from MTA 1.[4]

2020 era

From 27 May 2020, known as Khilafat Day for Ahmadis, MTA rearranged its channels according to regions and introduced new channels. These new channels were formerly MTA1 broadcasting on different satellites, converted to cater viewers of specific regions by broadcasting programmes in specific languages for each region. MTA 1 on Galaxy 19 became MTA8 HD AMERICA with programmes in Urdu, English, French and Spanish.[7]

Changes to MTA Channels
Channels Satellite(s) Formerly Region
MTA1 World Astra 2G

Hipasat 30W-5

 MTA1 Americas (excluding Brazil & Canada)

Europe

MTA2HD Europe Hotbird 13C (HD) MTA2 Europe

Middle East

MTA3 العربية Eutelsat 7 West A

Galaxy 19 (HD)

Hotbird 13B

Optus D2

Palapa-D

 MTA3 Europe

MENA

North America

Oceania

Southeast Asia

MTA4 Africa SES-5 MTA Africa 1 Sub-Saharan Africa
MTA5 Africa Astra 2F MTA Africa 2 West Africa
MTA6 Asia AsiaSat 7 MTA1 Asia

Oceania

MTA7HD Asia Eutelsat 70B (HD) Europe

Middle East

South Asia

MTA8HD America Galaxy 19 (HD) North America
MTA8HD America + 3 MTA 1+3

Channels

MTA runs 10 channels 24/7:

Worldwide

  • MTA1 World was the first channel launched by the MTA network and is the primary channel broadcasting programmes in English, Urdu and occasionally archived programmes in Arabic and French, and has multiple audio tracks to provide translations for certain programmes such as the Friday Sermon. Its broadcast coverage used to cover the entire globe before MTA1 on some satellites were converted into regional channels. It is mainly broadcast in the UK/Europe and parts of South America, as well as being broadcast on terrestrial TV in Suriname.[8]

Europe and MENA

  • MTA2 Europe focuses on programmes aimed specifically at European and Middle Eastern viewers by broadcasting programmes in a range of European languages, commonly French and German, in addition to English and Urdu, some of which are also broadcast on MTA1. It was launched in April 2004. MTA2, too, also has similar audio tracks for translations, similar to MTA1, where the Bengali Track is sometimes switched with Spanish. It is also broadcast in HD on the HotBird 13C and streamed online.
  • MTA3 Al-Arabia is an all-Arabic channel launched in March 2007 specifically for Arabic viewers in the Middle East and North Africa.[5] It is also broadcast in other parts of the world such as Europe, Indonesia and North America (where it is broadcast in HD). Initially, it was broadcast on the Egyptian-owned Nilesat 201 before being barred and eventually being broadcast on the European Eutelsat 7 West A instead, in 2008.

Africa

MTA Africa-based content is typically produced in the various African studios, such as the Wahab Adam Studios, based in Ghana.[9][10] There are 4 African channels as part of the MTA International network:

  • MTA4 Africa (formerly known as MTA Africa 1) is the fourth satellite-based television channel of the MTA International network. It was launched in early August 2016,[11] broadcasting specifically for viewers of Sub-Saharan Africa.[12] The channel is broadcast on the Astra 2F, and is also broadcast on terrestrial TV in Belize. Programmes aired are usually in English, French or Swahili language.
  • MTA5 Africa is a sister channel to MTA4, launched alongside it, and is primarily for the viewers of West Africa and airs programmes in a number of African languages, notably Hausa, Krio, Twi and Yoruba. It is the former MTA Africa 2 channel.
  • MTA Ghana is a terrestrial channel and the first country-exclusive channel part of the MTA network which aims to air programmes specifically for Ghanaian viewers. It was launched in January 2021 and broadcasts programmes in English and local languages, like Twi and Hausa.[13]
  • MTA Gambia is a terrestrial channel under the MTA International Africa division which broadcasts in The Gambia. The channel substantially broadcasts programmes in English and Mandinka languages.[14]

Asia

  • MTA6 Asia broadcasts programs which are specific to Pakistan (and by extension South Asia) and Indonesia. It airs programmes in Urdu, English and Indonesian, with some programs carrying additional translations in other languages, like Bengali.
  • MTA7 Asia primarily caters to the viewers of the Indian subcontinent, as it airs programs specific to the region. The channel also provides translations and content in local languages such as Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil.

Americas

  • MTA8 America is broadcast in North America, with content in English and Urdu as well as French and Spanish.

Members

The majority of its workers are volunteers with just a small percentage of paid full-time staff. Out of the 300 staff members that work in MTA's London offices, 90% are volunteers who dedicate their time to assist in the running of the network.[9]

Online Media Services

MTA has introduced a number of apps for the benefit of their viewers across a variety of platforms on all devices such as TV, Phone, Tablets, Desktops etc. The network also makes use of social media to live stream their channels on websites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as YouTube to broadcast all four channels, live.

In addition, as MTA International operates globally and in many different countries, many countries (where Ahmadiyya may have a significant or even minor presence) have their own official MTA YouTube channel for their specific region or language, which allows them to stream regional events that may not be broadcast on MTA but may be streamed on YouTube such as Jalsa Salana Canada was streamed on the YouTube channel MTA Canada, as well as this, it allows specific countries to stream live translations for key programmes such as the Friday Sermon.

There are also applications for mobile and personal devices on a variety of platform such as Roku TV, Apple TV, Android and iOS. On 2 August (at Jalsa Salana UK 2019), a range of MTA applications were launched for Smart TV brands such as Samsung, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Panasonic, LG, Sony and Philips.

National Studios

In most countries throughout the world in which there is a presence of the Ahmadiyya Community there is often a national MTA Studio. For example, MTA International USA Studios,[15] MTA International Canada Studios,[16] MTA International German Studios,[17][18] MTA International Nigeria Studios,[18] MTA International Ghana Studios, MTA International UK Studios etc. The primary and main MTA Studios is based in London, MTA International Studios.[19]

The headquarters and UK studios of MTA International were located at Fazl Mosque, London when it was launched and are now located inside two larger studios built within the site of the Baitul Futuh Mosque Complex in South London, United Kingdom.

Photos

References

  1. ↑ "Term of Use". MTA. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Muslim networks and transnational communities in and across Europe. Stefano Allievi, Jørgen S. Nielsen. Leiden: Brill. 2003. p. 188. ISBN 1-4175-0674-1. OCLC 55505632. This 24-hour TV channel based in London is owned by the Ahmadiyya and has been transmitting via satellite and the Internet since 1994.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ↑ Tahir, Ataul Fatir (2 July 2021). "MTA: Embodiment of a grand prophecy – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih addresses MTA International Conference 2021". Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Meet the Men and Women Working at MTA". Review Of Religion. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Friday Sermon - Veritable Mission of the Promised Messiah (as)". www.alislam.org. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community launches MTA International Africa TV Channel". Khalifatul Masih. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "27 مئی، یومِ خلافت سے ایم ٹی اے کے نئے دور کا بابرکت آغاز" [27 May, Khilafat Day, marks the new blessed era for MTA]. Al Fazl (in Urdu). 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Starnieuws - Ahmadiyya Suriname wil met tv-zender bruggen slaan" [Ahmadiyya Suriname wants to build bridges with TV channel]. www.starnieuws.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  9. 1 2 "MTA is the official television network of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community". AMJ International. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "MTA Ghana should be the best studio and channel in Africa: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih gives detailed guidance to MTA Ghana Studios". Al Hakam. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "MTA Africa Launch Ceremony". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  12. ↑ "MTA Africa Launch 2016".
  13. ↑ "Ghanaian Ahmadis to benefit from new terrestrial TV Channel". GhanaWeb. 17 January 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Hakam, Al (3 June 2022). "Ahmadiyya Football League in the Gambia". Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "MTA USA (@NationalMTAUSA) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "MTA International, Canada Studios - Live Stream". mtacanada.tv. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "MTA International German Studios | Muslim Television Ahmadiyya". www.mta-tv.de. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  18. 1 2 "MTA German Studios (@mtatvdeGlobal) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "MTA (@muslimtv) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
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