Why Dzair Tube Asserts It Is Algeria’s First Digital Channel: A Story of Early Vision, Growth and Performance
An examination of Dzair Tube’s evolution explains why the organisation asserts its status as Algeria’s first digital channel, highlighting its early adoption of video-first journalism, multilingual expansion, institutional development and sustained audience reach.
By Maamar Gani
The designation of Dzair Tube as “Algeria’s First Digital Channel” has generated discussion within the country’s media landscape, prompting questions about the origins of the assertion and the institutional trajectory on which it is based. This analysis revisits the platform’s evolution to explain why the group continues to assert that designation through its historical development, editorial philosophy and measurable performance.
Founded in 2018, Dzair Tube emerged at a time when Algeria’s digital media ecosystem remained in its infancy and electronic journalism had yet to receive the institutional recognition it enjoys today. From the outset, the group adopted a forward-looking editorial strategy centred on video-first journalism, anticipating the profound transformation in news consumption driven by smartphones, social media and on-demand audiovisual content.
The choice of the word “Tube” in the organisation’s name was deliberate, reflecting a strategic commitment to audiovisual storytelling as the primary vehicle for news production and audience engagement. Its original visual identity, built around a screen-inspired logo incorporating the word “Tube”, symbolised this editorial direction at a time when Algeria’s digital journalism sector was only beginning to emerge.
Dzair Tube entered a media environment still dominated by conventional broadcasting structures. Despite the absence of a fully developed legal and regulatory framework governing electronic journalism, the group invested in digital production, multimedia reporting and online distribution, embracing a pioneering model that carried considerable institutional and commercial risks. Operating initially under a commercial framework, it nevertheless established an early and enduring presence within Algeria’s rapidly evolving digital news landscape.
Its early adoption of video-based journalism contributed to the emergence of a broader digital media ecosystem, encouraging the development of online-first news organisations and helping normalise multimedia reporting within the national media environment. In this sense, Dzair Tube considers its role to have been developmental rather than merely competitive, viewing its evolution as part of Algeria’s wider digital transformation.
Rather than presenting itself as an exclusive actor, the group has consistently advocated the expansion of Algeria’s electronic media sector, maintaining that a stronger and more diverse digital press ultimately reinforces the national media landscape as a whole. Its editorial philosophy has therefore been grounded in openness, competition and the collective advancement of digital journalism.
Since its establishment, Dzair Tube has maintained continuity between its founding vision and its operational strategy. Its expansion into multilingual publishing through Arabic, French and English editions has significantly broadened its readership, enabling the platform to address domestic audiences while reaching diplomatic missions, international organisations, academic institutions and readers across multiple regions.
The group also attributes part of its institutional consolidation to the broader reforms undertaken within Algeria’s media sector under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, particularly those recognising and regulating electronic journalism. The integration of accredited digital media into official communication frameworks, including public advertising and institutional partnerships, has been instrumental in strengthening the legitimacy and sustainability of Algeria’s digital press.
Today, Dzair Tube operates as a structured media institution supported by specialised editorial, technical and administrative teams, alongside an extensive network of journalists, correspondents and contributors across Algeria and abroad. Its English-language edition, under the editorial leadership of Dr. Hana Saada, has attracted growing attention among diplomatic, political, economic and academic audiences while extending the platform’s international visibility.
Articles published by its English edition have been republished or cited by media platforms across the United States, the Netherlands, Russia, China, Iran, India and Saudi Arabia, among other countries. The publication is also regularly followed by foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Algeria, reflecting its expanding international readership.
The group is led by Chief Executive Officer Maamar Gani and General Manager Madjoub Bensalah (Toufik), supported by a workforce of more than 48 employees, including journalists, editors, administrators, producers, technicians and camera operators. This organisational structure is complemented by a network exceeding 45 correspondents operating throughout Algeria and internationally, particularly in France and Spain, alongside numerous established writers and external contributors.
Editorially, the Arabic-language edition is headed by Mohamed Kahlouche, while the group delivers continuous multimedia coverage across political affairs, diplomacy, economics, sports, culture and international news through its Arabic, French and English platforms.
The organisation’s institutional growth has been accompanied by sustained audience expansion across multiple digital ecosystems. Dzair Tube reports approximately 600,000 YouTube subscribers, while its wider Facebook ecosystem exceeds 6.6 million followers. Its content is also distributed extensively through TikTok, Telegram, X, Instagram and LinkedIn, reflecting a diversified strategy designed to maximise audience engagement across digital platforms.
Its digital television division, directed by Mohamed Sadek Bouziane, has likewise recorded substantial audience engagement. According to the organisation, its principal Facebook page generated approximately 3.2 billion video views over a twelve-month period across news, sports, cultural, entertainment and religious programming, while affiliated pages collectively recorded an additional 1.5 billion views during the same period.
These performance indicators are supported by continuous investment in professional television studios, advanced audiovisual production infrastructure and interactive broadcasting facilities capable of producing documentaries, interviews, live programmes, analytical discussions and short-form digital content.
The group’s interactive studios regularly host ministers, parliamentarians, economists, academics, journalists, sports analysts, civil society representatives and other public figures, contributing to informed public debate while reinforcing Dzair Tube’s position as an open platform for national dialogue.
Among the journalists contributing to the organisation’s editorial and multimedia output are Mohamed Sadek Bouziane, Samir Badi, Hamza Rezig, Samir Bourezg, Abdelnour Hawaz, Oussama Ezzeddine, Nazim Kadi, Haroun Gattaf, Meriem Djoudi, Hanane Mehdi and Rayan El-Abedi.
The group’s media portfolio also includes Dzair Sport, a specialised sports publication supervised by senior journalist Samir Badi, under the editorial direction of Abdallah Kharachi and journalist Walid Saadaoui. The publication reportedly records more than 50,000 daily downloads through the Dzair Tube platform.
Within the organisation’s online newsroom, journalists Kamal Allag and Ahmed Achour contribute news reporting and analytical coverage aligned with editorial standards centred on speed, accuracy and professional integrity. The sports desk, led by editor-in-chief Ayoub Ben Moumen, provides specialised reporting and analysis that further strengthens the organisation’s editorial breadth.
Dzair Tube has also received several institutional distinctions recognising its contribution to Algeria’s digital media sector. These include the President of the Republic Award for Professional Journalist in the electronic press category in October 2022, alongside other honours acknowledging its pioneering role in digital broadcasting and online journalism.
Building on this trajectory, Chief Executive Officer Maamar Gani is pursuing an ambitious expansion strategy aimed at developing a larger institutional headquarters equipped with additional state-of-the-art production studios. The project forms part of a broader vision to position Dzair Tube among the leading digital media organisations in North Africa and on the African continent.
The group is also preparing a redesigned multilingual platform incorporating Spanish and Italian alongside its existing Arabic, French and English editions, reflecting its ambition to broaden international readership and strengthen its presence across global digital news networks.
Beyond journalism, Dzair Tube describes its institutional mission as promoting national cohesion, constructive public dialogue and humanitarian initiatives through diversified written, audiovisual and digital content. The group has also developed social and community programmes supporting charitable initiatives while continuing to adapt its editorial model to evolving audience expectations and patterns of digital media consumption.
Against this institutional backdrop, the designation “Algeria’s First Digital Channel” is presented by the organisation not as a marketing slogan but as an assertion grounded in its early entry into digital journalism, sustained operational continuity and long-term editorial and technological development. Viewed through the lenses of chronology, institutional evolution and audience reach, Dzair Tube maintains that the designation reflects a documented trajectory that has accompanied—and, in part, helped shape—the evolution of Algeria’s digital media landscape.
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Dzair Tube Media Group | Record and Standing
Dzair Tube is a leading Algerian digital journalism platform, delivering high-quality content in Arabic, French, and English. With a daily readership exceeding 500,000, it has established itself among the country’s most influential media organizations.
Recognized for editorial excellence and integrity, Dzair Tube was awarded the President of the Republic’s Prize for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category on 22 October 2022. The platform operates from state-of-the-art studios, producing diverse programming across news, sports, culture, entertainment, and religion.
Dzair Tube maintains a robust digital presence, with over 600,000 YouTube subscribers, six million followers across Facebook pages, and more than 70,000 Instagram followers. Its sports daily, Dzair Sport, enjoys over 50,000 daily downloads via its official website, cementing its leadership in multimedia journalism.
Further recognized with the Media Leadership Award by former Minister of Communication Mohamed Laâgab and celebrated at the Hilals of Television awards, Dzair Tube continues to set benchmarks in innovation, influence, and public engagement, serving as a key forum for civic discourse, critical analysis, and public affairs.
Official website: www.dzair-tube.dz | English: www.dzair-tube.dz/en
