Kurdistan Region Now Home to 30 Satellite and 128 Local TV Channels

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region’s broadcasting sector has grown into one of the most vibrant in Iraq, with 30 licensed satellite channels and 128 local channels currently operating across the region, according to the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

Sherwan Abdullah, Director of Media, Print, and Publications at the ministry, told Kurdistan24 that the sharp rise in broadcasters reflects decades of steady media development since the 1991 uprising. Local channels were the first to emerge, followed later by a wave of satellite stations that expanded the region’s media reach.

Erbil hosts the highest concentration of broadcasters, followed by Sulaimani and Duhok, contributing to a diverse and competitive media environment.

In Erbil, there are 16 satellite channels and 85 local channels; in Sulaimani, there are 11 satellite channels and 34 local channels; and in Duhok province, there are three satellite channels and nine local channels. 

Officials say the continued growth of both satellite and local television channels underscores the Kurdistan Region’s expanding media freedoms and its role as a hub for news, culture, and information in Iraq.

In December 1996, the United Nations designated November 21 as World Television Day to commemorate the date of the first World Television Forum held that same year. 

The first fully electronic television system was invented by Philo Farnsworth, who successfully transmitted an image on September 7, 1927. He showcased his working electronic television system to the press in January 1928.