Belqees TV Announces Suspension of Its Broadcast Due to Compelling, Uncontrollable Circumstances

Belqees TV announced today that it has halted its satellite broadcast, citing compelling and uncontrollable circumstances, after ten years of continuous coverage of Yemeni affairs. The channel said it will now limit its operations to social media platforms.

 

The channel aired its final news bulletin from its broadcast headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, issuing a statement explaining the force majeure conditions that led to its shutdown.

The statement reviewed its decade-long journey, after which the channel’s YouTube livestream went off-air permanently. Belqees had been the only Yemeni TV channel to broadcast live on YouTube 24 hours a day.

 

Belqees TV launched on February 11, 2015, during a highly sensitive period following the Houthi coup against the Yemeni state. From its first day, the channel adopted a clear mission: amplifying the voice of the Yemeni people and defending the values of freedom, dignity, and the right to information.

 

The channel is chaired by Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman and has been broadcasting from Istanbul for more than a decade, following the dramatic deterioration of media freedoms in Sana’a after the Houthi takeover. This shift forced many media outlets to leave Yemen in search of a more suitable environment abroad.

 

Over the years, Belqees provided extensive field reporting, news coverage, analysis, and diverse programming that enriched Yemen’s media landscape. It helped expose human rights violations against civilians across the country and raised public awareness on political and rights-based issues through a network of field correspondents, journalists, writers, and multiple social media platforms.

 

The channel’s YouTube account surpassed one million subscribers, with more than 300 million views. Its Facebook page amassed over three million followers, making Belqees the first Yemeni TV channel to reach such a milestone.

 

Belqees also maintained a diverse programming portfolio, spanning news, analysis, documentaries, and—most notably—its debut drama production aired during last year’s Ramadan season. The channel additionally offered talk shows, testimonials, and a vast visual archive documenting events across nearly all Yemeni governorates.

 

Throughout its operation, Belqees TV faced extensive smear campaigns launched by its opponents—both domestic actors in Yemen and external parties linked to the Yemeni conflict. Despite this, it maintained a strong professional performance and served as a prominent platform advocating for numerous issues and developments in Yemen. It was also one of the Yemeni channels most subjected to restrictions, harassment, and the loss of journalists in the field.

 

The channel’s abrupt shutdown highlights the challenges facing Yemeni media operating from abroad. Many Yemeni outlets—state-affiliated and independent—are currently dispersed across countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

 

The unexpected closure sparked widespread reactions across Yemeni media circles. Many journalists expressed regret over the channel’s shutdown, calling it a significant loss for the media landscape, given its influence and balanced coverage.

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