ANNUAL REPORT 2017 11 SAT-7 TÜRK CHANNEL UPDATE UPPING LIVE PROGRAMMING 2017 saw a significant increase in live programming for SAT-7 TÜRK. Over the last three years, the channel has gone from a weekly, 30-minute news broadcast to having a wide variety of live shows five days a week. In 2017, SAT-7 TÜRK broadcast: • About Life – a conversational, apologetics program where the presenter invites many different theologians and experts on set to discuss challenging biblical topics. • Homemade – a women’s show made up of creative segments, including cooking, psychology and culture to inspire Turkish women towards realising their full potential. • Kids Club – an engaging and interactive program for children to learn about Bible stories, Christian music, as well as arts and crafts. • The Power of Prayer – discusses challenging issues raised by the show’s viewers, then encourages and supports the audience through the ministry of prayer. • Worldview – analyses relevant news topics from a Christian perspective while promoting healthy and respectful discussions. The increase in live programs has played a crucial part in better honing SAT-7 TÜRK’s broadcast schedule to meet its viewers’ needs. Live programming enables viewers to call into shows to voice their opinions and give the TV channel valued feedback. MORE HANDS ON DECK A huge answer to prayer in 2017 was the increase in personnel. By the end of 2017, the Istanbul studio had a staff of 36. The demands of maintaining a 24/7 channel and producing new and engaging content requires a strong, dedicated team. Through God’s provision, the production department grew enough to adequately sustain live broadcasts five days a week, while producing remote documentaries and series. “Throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our team through formal training, coaching and encouragement. We aim to carry that same positive performance and spirit into the future,” said SAT-7 TÜRK’s Executive Director, Melih Ekener. COMPELLING SHORT FILM PRODUCED Directed by SAT-7 TÜRK’s Ali Kerem Gülermen, the channel’s team produced a short film, The Way Back Home over the summer months. Gülermen adapted the film from the book of the same title, written by Turkish Christian author İsmail Serinken. The story explores a man’s journey to find the purpose of existence, where he experiences visions, and eventually discovers the true and purest meaning of love. The Way Back Home was premiered on 21 September 2017 at a gala event in Istanbul. FACING AN ONLINE “GOLIATH” A shutdown of all SAT-7 TÜRK social media platforms and websites in late-2017, which continued for two months, seemed like an impossible challenge. Being “offline” meant the channel could not engage with its younger audiences or publish Christian-related news for believers across the country. Despite the setback, 2017 statistics showed that there was still an increase of online audience engagement compared with 2016. SAT-7 TÜRK made more efforts to tailor its satellite TV programs to social media, making short, sharable clips. One specific video entitled Let Me Tell You The Truth about Pentecost attracted a great deal of interest from both viewers and non-viewers of the channel. It is part of a series of five-minute episodes debunking myths surrounding Christian holidays and traditions. The video attracted more than 100,000 views on Facebook even though the channel’s page only has 34,000 followers.