Turner Broadcasting promotes Tarek Mounir to General Manager

Turner Broadcasting has promoted Tarek Mounir to the new role of General Manager, Turkey, Middle East, North Africa, Greece and Cyprus. Reporting to Rani R Raad, Turner Broadcasting Managing Director for the region, Mounir will have oversight for all operational and business functions across his remit, which in the Middle East include extensive commercial operations in Dubai, and the dynamic Cartoon Network Animation Studios and Academy in Abu Dhabi.

“Turner is continuing to expand its interests in the region and Tarek is very much the person to take our business here to the next level,” said Raad.

“Regarding the Middle East in particular, Tarek’s sound business acumen, understanding of the region and passion for the product couldn’t be a better combination as we consolidate our presence in this important market with a number of innovative new initiatives.”

Turner has recently announced a second season of hit Emirati cartoon Mansour, and is currently consolidating plans for a Cartoon Network zone at Dubai’s IMG Worlds of Adventure theme park due to open in 2015, coinciding with the strong growth at flagship local channel Cartoon Network Arabic.

Mounir has been with Turner Broadcasting since 2010 when he joined the company from Blink Studios.  In that time he has steered the company’s regional presence including the 2011 launch of Cartoon Network Studio Arabia and Cartoon Network Animation Academy, while also presiding over the distribution of Turner’s growing portfolio of English language and localised kids, entertainment and news channels.  Cartoon Network Arabic has become one of the top three kids channels in the Middle East in just four years since launch, and HLN has been brought to the region recently via MyHD and Oredoo as Turner expands its news offering to complement the ongoing success of CNN International as the region’s leading international news brand.