Future TV (discontinued)
Future TV was founded by former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and received its broadcast license on March 21, 1997. The TV station used to own Zein TV, a channel launched in 2001 and targeting a young adult audience. It aired a wide variety of entertainment programs for youth aged 15-35, addressing Internet, fashion and music, in addition to newscast. Zein TV was shut down on February 14, 2005, upon Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination. On December 9, 2007, Future TV launched the Future News channel, using the premises of Zein TV. Four years later, Future News was shut down and merged with the main Future TV channel due to the station's financial crisis.
On May 7, 2008, conflict between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement supporters on the one hand, and Future Movement supporters on the other hand, erupted in Beirut and other Mount Lebanon areas. It is considered the most dangerous and violent conflict since the end of the Lebanese civil war. Pro-Hezbollah protesters stormed the Future TV headquarters in Beirut and the channel was forced to stop broadcast for several days.
Future TV’s political position is that of the Future movement led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
In September 2019, Saad Hariri announced the suspension of work at Future TV, citing financial reasons. In 2021, Future TV returned to the media landscape but only to broadcast recurrent old shows, increasingly limiting their content to “basic essentials” over time.
Ownership Type
Private - Lebanese Joint Stock Company
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Free content
Media Companies / Groups
Future Television SAL
Ownership Structure
Future Television SAL has more than 70 shareholders. The Hariri family controls directly 59.14% of the shares, divided among former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, his brothers Ayman, Bahaa, Fahd, his aunt then MP Bahia Hariri, his stepmother Nazik Hariri, and his uncle Shafik Hariri. Close allies of the Hariri family, i.e. Saad Hariri's advisor Hani Hammoud own 10%, as well as the Shammaa family, involved in several other ventures with the Hariri family, which owns 10%. Other minor shareholders include business partners such as Bechara Nammour, Hariri advisors former MP Salim Diab and Nadim Munla, a number of bankers inlcuding Francois Bassil and the late former minister Farid Raphael, as well as shareholders linked to a number of Lebanese politicians, including former MP Anwar Al-Khalil, former Deputy Prime Minister Samir Mokbel, former Future Movement MP and Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, and former Minister Youssef Takla.
Voting Rights
Missing Data
Individual Owner
Group / Individual Owner
Others
Other minor shareholders include business partners such as Bechara Nammour (0.02%), Hariri advisors Salim Diab (0.04%), Nadim Munla (0.04%), a number of bankers including Samir Hammoud (5.17%), Francois Bassil (0.08%) and Farid Raphael (1%), as well as shareholders linked to a number of Lebanese politicians, including former MP Anwar Al-Khalil (0.08%), former Deputy Prime Minister Samir Mokbel (0.4%), and former Minister Youssef Takla.
General Information
Founding Year
1997
Affiliated Interests Founder
Prime Minister (1992-2008; 2000-2004), assassinated on 14 February 2005.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
Media advisor to Hariri family
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
N/A
Affiliated Interests other important people
General Manager of the TV station and an official signatory.
former Future Movement MP and Interior Minister and owns a symbolic share of 0.004%.
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
Missing Data
Further Information
Headlines
Chidiac, M. (2014). La television mise à nu. L'Orient des Livres. (Available in French only).
Meta Data
2024 audience share for all outlets is based on data provided by ELKA. Cumulative amounts are used to assess the audience share indicator. 2024 and 2021 data on shareholder fractions, company information, revenue, and management are acquired by the collaborative investigative efforts of SEEDS for Legal Initiatives and the Samir Kassir Foundation. Audience share data is unavailable for online outlets.
