Al-Kass Sports Channel

Infobox TV channel
name = Al Dawri wal Kass Channel
logofile = Kass.jpg
logosize = 250px
logoalt = Al-Kass logo
launch = 6 June, 2006
owner = Government of Qatar
web = [http://www.alkass.net www.alkass.net]
sat serv 1 = Nilesat 101/102, Arabsat|

Al-Kass Sports Channel is a sports channel that is broadcasted 24/7 from Qatar. Its official name is Al Dawri wal Kass (Arabic:قناة الدوري والكأس), which means The League and the Cup in Arabic, since it was initially launched to broadcast domestic football in Qatar.

History

Al-Kass was launched in June 2006 as the second sports channel from Qatar after Al Jazeera Sports. In its first year, the channel won many viewers with its unmatched coverage of domestic sports, especially football. It also broadcasted the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha. It now also covers matches involving the Gulf countries, notably FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, the AFC Asian Cup and the Gulf Cup of Nations. It has emerged as one of the most popular sport channels in the Gulf.

Programmes

Here is a list of some notable programmes broadcasted on Al-Kass.
*"Al Majlis" (المجلس) - Flagship talk show involving former national players and coaches; previews every match involving Qatar and Qatari clubs. Hosted by Khalid Jassim.
*"Race N Wheels" - Weekly motorsports show. Hosted by Marianne Caracalla.
*"Fadh Fadh" - Fans interaction show where the channel's reporters mingle among the crowd during matches. Hosted by Jamal Hosni.
*"Al Kuratul Aalamiyah" - Weekly show on world football with guests like Ronald de Boer and Sabri Lamouchi.
*"Jarayed" (جرايد) - Newspaper review show, covering local regional and international newspapers. Hosted by Huda Mohammed.

Notable figures

*Khalid Jassim : Host of "Al Majlis" programme and winner of best host award among Gulf sports channels.
*Ahmed al Tayeb: Argubaly the No.1 commentator in the channel who speaks with the typical Egyptian accent. He has commentated matches of the UEFA Euro 2008 ("for Al Jazeera Sports"), 2007 AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
*Khalid Salman : Former national team player. Has played in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, the Olympics and the Gulf Cup. Now appears as an analyst on "Al Majlis".

Branding and Design

Berlin-based design and production company METAPhrenie created a new-look branding for the club in 2007 [ [http://www.ameinfo.com/153278.html] ] .

Awards

The channel won the best Gulf Sports Channel award in 2007. Khalid Jassim, the host of the "Majlis" (The Council) programme won the best host award.The channel also won two awards at the Promax BDA awards held at New York in June 2008. [ [http://www.ameinfo.com/163450.html] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.alkass.net | Official website]