Arabic-language TV channel Alhurra, founded by the US to counteract the poisonous incitement of Arab TV channels like Al Jazeera, is winning viewers in the Arab world: Arabs are watching US TV channel Alhurra.

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - The controversial U.S. Arabic-language TV channel Alhurra is winning viewers as a news source in the Arab world despite rising anti-American attitudes in the region, according to a U.S.-financed poll released on Thursday.

The telephone survey of 3,588 people aged 15 or older in 13 cities was done by the French research company Ipsos-Stat in early April for the the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the independent federal agency that oversees all U.S. international nonmilitary broadcasting.

The results showed Alhurra — in its first two months — is being watched by an average 29 percent of the satellite-equipped households in seven countries, including a high of 44 percent in Kuwait and a low of 18 percent in Egypt.

The survey also found that an average 53 percent of the viewers consider the channel programming to be reliable or somewhat reliable. This includes a high of 70 percent reliability felt by Saudis and a low of 37 percent reliability among Syrians.

“I was very surprised by these numbers,” considering all the negative press in the region saying no one is watching Alhurra and the fact that a religious “fatwa” edict was issued against the channel in Saudi Arabia, said Norman Pattiz of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

“Within the first two months of broadcasting Alhurra has quickly established itself as a player among satellite stations in the Middle East,” he told a news conference.