| Babylon Media | |
| Logo Alt: | The white lowercase "abc" letters in a black circle. |
| Products: | Television and radio network, event management |
| Hq Location Country: | Iraq |
| Hq Location City: | Ankawa, Erbil |
Babylon Media is a multi-media company situated in Ankawa, Erbil, located in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region.
The company was founded in 1998 by Assyrian brothers Salwan and Nashwan Zaito, who originate from Zakho in northern Iraq. Living in the Netherlands, the two brothers initially opened their company as a media coverage provider across Europe. In the wake of the US invasion of Iraq, the two decided to move their operations back to Iraq in 2005, offering a wide range of services.[1]
Babylon Media offers a wide range of services that span the region of northern Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. The operations that the company entails are listed below in consecutive order.
The company owns and operates several television networks, including Babylon TV and Babylon FM, which offer a variety of programming ranging from news and entertainment to sports and lifestyle. The company's film division has previously produced and distributed numerous movies, some of which have garnered critical acclaim. The company has also co-produced two cinematic films, El clásico and Hiding Saddam Hussein, among producing many others.
Babylon Media Group has created and operated a multitude of television channels and stations throughout its time working in the region. Aside from Babylon TV and Babylon FM, other channels that they oversee include Gali Kurdistan, Net TV, NRT News, Samara TV, Salahadin TV, Radio Al-Salam, UTV, and Kurdsat TV, each offering unique content that caters to different audiences. In November 2014, the company signed a contract with UAE-based Yahlive to include more channels on their network.[2]
The company primarily broadcasts its content in English and Arabic. Although managing some Kurdish channels in the 2010s, such as Korek TV and Kanal 4, they no longer broadcast any media in the Kurdish language. Broadcasting in the Assyrian language is primarily through Radio Al-Salam, which is funded by the Iraqi government.
Since shifting its operations to Iraq, the company has been involved in orchestrating a wide range of events across Europe and Iraq. In 2016, the company hosted the Miss Kurdistan beauty pageant, allocating $350,000 to host the event in Erbil.[3] The company has also hosted a plethora of events for the government of Iraqi Kurdistan and Kurdish-affiliated organizations. [4] [5] [6] [7]