Viewers of SAT-7 KIDS love "Mr. Know" and his show "Why is That?" (SAT-7 photo)
Egypt (MNN) ― Across the Middle East, over one million people are under the age of 17. With such a youthful population, SAT-7, a Christian satellite television service to the Middle East and North Africa, knew they needed outreach for kids.
In 2007, SAT-7 launched their SAT-7 KIDS program, broadcasting from Morocco to Afghanistan and reaching thousands of kids with the message of Christ in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish. And recently, SAT-7 began partnering with NILE SAT, which offers a bigger satellite platform and a chance to double or even triple their audience.
Since its inception, Rex Rogers with SAT-7 USA said their kids programming has gained popularity, but three shows in particular--Bedtime Stories with Rita, The Naji Show and Why is That?
The latter show is about to undergo changes because of how popular it's grown. Rogers said kids have fallen in love with the show's host, Mr. Know. "It's [an] Egyptian fellow named Essam, and he answers questions for the children on the air--could be anything from 'Is Spiderman stronger than Superman?' all the way over to 'My father died and I wonder where he is.'"
Through this programming, Essam is sharing biblical truths with viewers and gaining their trust: "There's a lot of kids out there that are hungry for leadership and hungry for a role model," Rogers said, and Essam is filling this role for thousands of kids--and even teenagers.
Back in February, 3,000 kids showed up at a Cairo, Egypt book fair to say hello to Mr. Know. Now, SAT-7 KIDS is giving viewers another chance to closely interact with one of their favorite characters.
Up to this point, the show has mostly been pre-recorded in Lebanon. That is about to change: "Well, it has been a recorded program ... We're going to start live programming because it just gives the kids--or for that matter, adults--a sense of real time interaction. They can call in; they can email; they can text messages, and we can respond to them, with their permission, on air and answer their questions directly," Roger said.
This will be SAT-7 KIDS first-ever scheduled live show. Shows will now take place in Egypt--Essam's home, making it more convenient for him as well.
However, live programming is not without its challenges, as it costs more; every little detail of logistics is important, and unexpected circumstances may arise. But overall, it is better programming, which will better relate to the audience, Rogers said.
Pray for SAT-7 KIDS as they kick off this live show. Pray that all of the production elements will run smoothly and that this change will make SAT-7 even more accessible to kids, teenagers and even parents across the Middle East.
Also, you can help supply some of the necessary funds to support live programming and the rest of the work SAT-7 by clicking here. Or, a new donation opportunity, you can text "SAT-7" to 20222 and donate $10.
