2M

Country	Morocco
Broadcast area	Morocco Europe and Middle East (through 2M Monde)
Headquarters	Aïn Sebaâ, Casablanca, Morocco
Programming
Language(s)	Arabic, French, Tamazight
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Ownership
Owner	Bank of Africa (45.3%)[1] Moroccan government (32.5%)[1] Al Mada (12%)[2]/> Atlas Capital (10.2%)
History
Launched	March 4, 1989 (1989-03-04)
Links
Website	2m.ma
Availability
Terrestrial
DTT (Morocco)	Channel 2 (SD)
Streaming media
CASSETTE Audio Video Visual	CD-VCD
Ziggo GO	ZiggoGO.tv (Netherlands only)

2M is a Moroccan free-to-air television network. It was established by the royal-owned conglomerate, ONA, before being sold to, in part, the Moroccan government. Of 2M, 45.3% is owned by Bank of Africa,^[3] while approximately 32.5% by the Moroccan government, Al Mada (12%), with the remaining shares being owned by Atlas Capital, the Grandson in-law of Othman Benjelloun (10.2%).

The channel is available free-to-air locally on digital signal with national coverage, and on satellite television via Globecast, Nilesat and Arabsat.

2M offers services in Arabic, French, and Berber.

Background

2M was set up as a second national television channel with the aim of promoting competition and diversity in Moroccan audio-visual broadcasting.

2M started its programmes officially on 4 March 1989. It used to be a cable channel broadcasting unscrambled twice a day. After 7 years of activity, SOREAD (ONA group), the major shareholder, withdrew from the management of this TV channel due to financial reasons. The Moroccan state took over the control of 2M with a participation of 68% in its capital. This takeover was supported by a major effort to develop the audio-visual sector.

In early October 2000, 2M started 24-hour broadcasts, changed its schedule and later started broadcasting on Intelsat on January 15, 2001.^[4]

Radio 2M is the companion radio channel to 2M, presenting music, news, and information directly from Morocco in Arabic and French.

Content

2M challenged taboos by debating controversial issues and established a reputation for itself as a symbol of freedom of speech in Morocco. The channel regularly broadcasts news, films, sports and music. It is a government-controlled public TV station and it has been alleged that the government also controls editorial choices.

2M has two separate feeds: one available nationwide via terrestrial television, and a satellite feed under the branding 2M Monde (French for lit. 2M World). Both feeds have the same local shows but are aired at different times. 2M Monde does not broadcast Hollywood movies and American TV shows because the network only buys their broadcasting rights for within Morocco.^[5]

2M in figures

• Personnel: 500 people, including 30% executives;
• Coverage: 80% of the population;
• Capital: 302,371,500 Moroccan dirham (€27,008,467 / £18,228,395 / US$36,750,427), including 68% owned by the state and 20.7% owned by Mohammed VI's holding SNI.

Programming

Foreign shows

List of American and European TV shows broadcast by the local version of 2M (which may change time by time):

American TV shows and Hollywood movies are imported from France with French dubbing.

On both the local and satellite versions of the channel, a selection of other foreign shows are dubbed locally in Moroccan Arabic:

• Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke
• Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar
• Vaidehi
• Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann
• Beni Affet [tr] (Arabic: سامحيني)
• Avenida Brasil
• Larin izbor

2M's children's programming block ("2M Kids") also includes foreign TV shows dubbed in French or in Moroccan Arabic, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Oggy and the Cockroaches and Chaotic.

Locally-produced