| Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International | |
| Type: | Terrestrial television network |
| Country: | Lebanon |
| Headquarters: | Adma, Lebanon |
| Owner: | See Ownership |
| Key People: | Pierre El Daher (chairman & CEO) |
| Launch Date: | August 23, 1985 (television network) |
| Terr Serv 1: | Cablevision (Lebanon) |
| Terr Chan 1: | Back to Basic package - General (Pay television) |
| Online Serv 1: | Cablevision+ (IPTV in Lebanon) |
| Online Chan 1: | Channel 1 - General |
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (Arabic: المؤسسة اللبنانية للإرسال انترناسيونال), widely known as LBCI, is a private television station in Lebanon. LBCI was founded in 1992 by acquiring the assets, liabilities and logo of LBC, an entity founded in 1985 during the Lebanese Civil War by the Lebanese Forces militia.[1] LBCI went global in 1996 when it launched its satellite channel LBC Al-Fadha'iya Al-Lubnaniya (Arabic: الفضائية اللبنانية) covering Lebanon, the Arab world, Europe, America, Australia and Africa.
The Lebanese Forces, a Lebanese militia that had founded LBC in 1985,[1] was militarily and financially weakened by Lebanese civil war which ended in 1990 and its leader Samir Geagea was imprisoned in 1994. In 1992, Pierre El Daher had founded LBCI along with other shareholders and registered it at the Commercial Register of Baabda.
In April 1996, El Daher and other shareholders launched LBCsat, a free satellite channel. The new channel was a success, especially to the Lebanese diaspora, disseminated throughout the world.
In 2003, as a result of an agreement between Saleh Kamel, founder of LMH company (Lebanese Media Holding, owner of 49% of LBC SAT and Pac's shares) and Saudi prince Al Waleed bin Talal, the latter, through Kingdom, replaced Kamel in LMH.[2]
By the end of 2008, it was decided to increase the capital of LMH considerably. Accordingly, Al-Waleed Bin Talal became the largest shareholder after acquiring the absolute majority in PAC (a content provider for both LBCI and LBC SAT) and LBC SAT, based on an understanding that the capital increase would be invested to improve the programs’ network and upgrade productivity under the supervision of Sheikh Pierre Daher.
In 2010, Rupert Murdoch joined the group and PAC and LBC SAT were merged with Rotana. Rumor was that this merger would improve and develop the group, which seemed an obvious result of the cooperation between the Saudi prince and the owner of the biggest media empire in the world, Rupert Murdoch. These expectations did not materialize.[3]
At the end of the year 2002, LBC SAT and the London-based Al Hayat newspaper owned by Saudis, merged their news programs. LBC SAT daily news bulletin was called the "Al Hayat-LBC SAT news bulletin". The cooperation ended in 2010.
According to the Media Ownership Monitor, an initiative by Reporters Without Borders and the Samir Kassir Foundation, the majority owner of the station is Pierre Daher and his family who owns 50.6% share. Other key shareholders include former Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares and his son Najad owning 10% each, Maroun Jazzar with 4.4%, Investcom, which is owned by Prime Minister Najib Mikati's family, with 4% share and Salah Osseiran with also 4% share.[4]
In December 2019, LBCI announced that the LDC brand will be discontinued by the beginning of the year 2020 and that all programs will be broadcast via LBCI. The main reason behind the decision is that the LDC branding is no longer needed since the battle for the LBC brand and channels with Al Walid Bin Talal has been resolved and won by LBCI current owner, Pierre El Daher.
LBCI has produced many popular shows including: Little Big Stars (Arabic: نجوم صغار), Star Academy Arab World, Ya Katel Ya Maktoul (Arabic version of Greed), Miss Lebanon, Hellha wo Ehtalha (Arabic version of French TV Show Fort Boyard), Survivor Middle East, El Wadi (Arabic version of The Farm), The Perfect Bride and Mission Fashion.
Its most famous talk show is Kalam Ennas (Arabic: كلام الناس) hosted by Marcel Ghanem. The show, which originally aired on C33, moved to LBC after C33 was shut down in the mid-1990s. Another famous show is BassMat Watan (Arabic: بس مات وطن); a pun in Lebanese for either "The smiles of the homeland" or "When the nation died", depending on how people see the joke of this title), a sketch-comedy show that deals with politics and current events.