In the eye of the coronavirus storm, anxious viewers in the Middle East and North Africa are looking to live Christian TV for reassurance—desperate to see “living hope” as the crisis escalates.
“Right now, with many countries introducing quarantine measures and lockdowns—and people staying home in isolation because of the COVID-19 virus—millions are searching the channels for hope that’s alive and real,” said Dr. Rex Rogers, SAT-7 USA president (sat7usa.org), a Christian satellite broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa.
SAT-7’s programming reaches viewers in their own homes via live, “real life” shows in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish languages, as well as a children’s channel, showing viewers what it means to be a follower of Christ, especially in a crisis.
In Iran—one of the world’s coronavirus hotspots where more than 700 people have died so far—worried viewers, many of whom are “self-isolating” and anxiously stuck at home, are tuning into the live, interactive Signal show to share their experiences and get on-air advice from guest doctors.
With more than half of Iran’s 82-million-strong population under age 35 and 800,000 believers in Iran’s explosive underground church movement, satellite TV plays a vital “encourager” role—especially during crises and persecution. It’s illegal for Christians in Iran to hold church services in Farsi, or share their faith with non-Christians.
SOURCE: Charisma News
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