'Ana Sooria': A new Syrian television channel broadcasting from Lebanon's Studiovision

BEIRUT — "Ana Sooria," or "I am Syria," a television channel that launched in mid-July, has sparked a wave of criticism on social media in recent days, as it broadcasts from Studiovision studios in Lebanon, which is the production company of Lebanese television channel MTV.

According to some social media users, MTV, known for its opposition to the former Assad regime in Syria and for being critical of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, also funds "Ana Sooria". However, L'Orient Today could not confirm this information independently.

What do we know about the channel?

The channel, which is founded by a group of Syrian "intellectuals and businessmen," describes itself as a "modern entertainment channel offering cultural and interactive content." It currently has around 29.7 k followers on Instagram and 5.5 k on Facebook.

An official synopsis obtained by L'Orient Today claims that Ana Sooria "broadcasts from the Studiovision studio" in Lebanon, though it does not specify whether MTV or Studiovision fund the channel. The synopsis also notes that Ana Sooria "brings together young and educated Syrian presenters, focusing on social and educational topics and reflecting everything currently happening in Syria on these fronts." The document says that the channel "airs a live daily morning show that captures all aspects of Syria’s cultural and social life."

Ana Sooria also covers major events happening in Syria through its correspondents and reporters in different regions, such as the official exam results, the Damascus International Fair, and other key national occasions. Moreover, it broadcasts a wide variety of programs, including a cooking segment introducing Syrian, Arab, and international dishes; in-studio interviews with Syrian guests presenting their latest works; a horoscope feature; highlights from the art scene; and a sarcastic commentary feature, among others.

Despite having very little political coverage, it offers occasional moderate critiques of Syrian current affairs, including the electricity and water crises in the country. The channel claims that its core mission is to "reflect the authentic and beautiful reality of the Syrian scene and people — educated, vibrant, and eager to prosper."

'Affiliated with MTV'

With the opening of the channel around a month and a half ago, pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported that "Syrian journalists have been circulating photos taken in front of the MTV building in Beirut, accompanied by references to the launch of Ana Sooria in the studios of MTV in the Naccache area [Metn district.]" Contacted by L'Orient Today, MTV declined to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, the Syrian Ministry of Information, who received a series of questions from L'Orient Today, did not provide answers at the time of publication.

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Omar Madaniyah, a Syrian media activist, went as far as calling "Ana Sooria" a Lebanese channel. Madaniyah added in a post on X on Monday, which got more than 165k views, that Ana Sooria is affiliated with MTV, which used to "incite against Syrian refugees" in Lebanon.

These past years, and even before the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 2024, MTV regularly called for the return of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to Syria. The channel even aired an ad last year that calls for people to “undo the damage of the Syrian displaced."

Omar al-Hariri, a journalist from the Syrian city of Daraa, echoed Madaniyah's comments, saying: "The channel is funded by the same people who fund MTV. The audacity, they even call themselves Ana Sooria," he wrote.