Prince of Poets wins international TV award

Rasha Elass

• Last Updated: November 04. 2009 8:48PM UAE / November 4. 2009 4:48PM GMT

ABU DHABI // The Prince of Poets, the television contest featuring Arabic poetry, has won an award from the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB).

The competition, which concluded its third season in August, was recognised in the creative specialist genre television category.

“The AIBs celebrate the best in broadcasting worldwide,” said Simon Spanswick, the chief executive of AIB.

“[They] demonstrate how broadcasters are using new technology both to improve programme making and to reach out and involve their audiences more fully.”

This year, more than 7,500 poems were submitted to the Prince of Poets show, and 1,000 were chosen as official entries.

A judging committee interviewed 300 poets and selected 35 to compete. There were six women on the programme, the most in any season.

The contest is named after the late Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi, whose peers gave him the title “Prince of Poets” in 1927.

The AIB winners are selected based on recommendations from professionals in broadcasting and other industries.

An awards event was hosted in London by Francine Lacqua, an anchor for Bloomberg TV.

relass@thenational.ae