2M TV is a Moroccan television service. It was established by the largest Moroccan economic conglomerate, ONA, before being sold to the Moroccan state. It is based in Casablanca. It is available free of charge locally on digital signal with coverage over all Morocco and on satellite television via Globecast, Nilesat and Arabsat.
2M offers services in Arabic, French, and Berber. 2M was rebranded 2M Monde in 2007 and is now available worldwide. 2M was set up as a second national television channel with the aim of promoting competition and diversity in Moroccan audio-visual broadcasting.
2M started its programmes officially on March 4, 1989. It used to be a cable channel broadcasting uncoded twice a day. After 7 years of activity, SOREAD (ONA group), the major shareholder, withdrew from the management of this TV channel due to financial reasons. The Moroccan state took over the control of 2M with a participation in 68% in its capital. This takeover was supported by a major effort to develop the audio-visual sector.
Radio 2M is the companion radio channel to 2M, presenting music, news, and information direct from Morocco in Arabic and French.
2M challenged taboos by debating controversial issues and established a reputation for itself as a symbol of freedom of speech in Morocco. The channel regularly broadcasts news, films, sports and music. It is now a government-controlled public TV station and has close under-the-table ties with influential parts of the Moroccan political power structure (the Makhzen). 2M has been used by the government as an indirect means to attack independent newspapers such as Le Journal.
2M has two different channels, a local analog channel and a satellite channel whose name is 2M Monde (an imitation of the name "TV5 Monde"). "2M Monde" means "2M World". Both local and world versions of 2M have the same shows but are aired at different times. 2M Monde does not broadcast Hollywood movies and American TV shows because it only buys their broadcasting rights for within Morocco.