Dumping the original language (Arabic) in favor of 2 x English in 2016 due to a satellite and frequency change is/was more than questionable. This is criticized again and again, especially in the French-speaking Swisscom forum. The original Al Jazeera (in Arabic) can still be received unencrypted in Europe today. This is where specialist expertise is required. The enlightened customer can no longer be fobbed off with empty phrases; Especially not experts.

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5 days later

@Gulfstream_N9999M

The option you have chosen is commendable, but based on experience

only partially successful. Nevertheless, it is extremely important to stay on the ball and publish obvious deficits in the Swisscom forum. Various places read along here.

I think I’ll have to brief my Swisscom internal networks again. For some time now, things have not been going well with other channels (Albania, Germany, France, Italy, Serbia, etc.), as can be seen regularly in the Swisscom forums (de/fr/it).

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8 days later

According to information from Swisscom Support yesterday, the new frequency for Al Jazeera’s Arabic program is in a frequency range that would apparently require an adjustment in the alignment of one of the satellite dishes. According to information from support, Swisscom is currently not doing this (effort?, low priority?). There is no concrete statement as to whether they will even make any adjustments in this regard. So I think this approach is very “special”…

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@Gulfstream_N9999M

“Tragic” what an unqualified answer you received, in various respects. Do other positions at Swisscom also see it that way?!

Arabic TV channels therefore have no lobby. Is a growing group of people being discriminated against?! Other Swiss providers recognize the opportunities and adequately serve this population segment.

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I also find the answer a bit strange, but then you can also delete the SD version or switch on another Arabic-language channel such as Canal Algerie in its place. HD and SD versions really don’t make sense in the same package.

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Agus fágaimíd siúd mar atá sé

7 days later

We recently checked the 2 satellite positions again:

25.5° HL 11.045 GHz

8° VH 12,520 GHz

The reception strengths are below the input sensitivity of the receiver because the satellite beam is directed towards MENA (Middle East, North Africa). Therefore only the SD version remains in Arabic.

For this reason we would have to switch a second channel for AJ to SD Arabic. Whether this (cost) effort is worth it is a matter of debate.

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It would be really great if something could be done with AJ in Arabic in SD! Or if that’s not possible, France 24’s Arabic program as an alternative? Would at least be better than AJ twice in English 😉

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a month later

Well done, Swisscom! Thanks to those responsible at Swisscom, who quickly took up the old request and implemented it. Swisscom has once again proven its leadership qualities!

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@mantegazza wrote:

The current (problem) cases are:

RTS Svet ex-RTS Sat (Serbia)

RTSH Sat HD ex-TVSH Sat (Albania)

Al Jazeera (in Arabic until July 2016) today 2 x English


Nice for our Arabic-speaking viewers! If the only thing missing from mantegazza’s list is the reactivation of RTSH after the name change, then the legacy problems would be taken care of. By the way, almost every Swiss network operator has this channel in their portfolio (just like RTCG sat from Montenegro). The two would also look good in the Swisscom offer :-))

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Agus fágaimíd siúd mar atá sé

Actually you would have to swap the program slot. Al Jazeera Arabic is at number 225, right after BBC News, skyNews etc… Al Jazeera English at 543. The other Arabic channels are all also in the 543 region. But at least it’s true again and Al Jazeera is not more listed twice in English.

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