But the group might have spread its media wings too thinly. Its ever-growing outlets seem to have fallen short of having any conspicuous or significant influence on public opinion, whether in favour of the group or against the current regime of President Abd-al-Fattah al-Sisi.
The MB's media apparatus was shut down at home right after the unseating of President Morsi in July 2013. Misr 25, the group's then only official TV station, was closed on the day Morsi was ousted, as were other supportive Islamist channels.
Turkey a key supporter
This and the restrictions it faced afterwards led the MB to turn its attention outside Egypt. The warm relations between Morsi and the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been a vocal critic of Al-Sisi, made Turkey a key destination.
In less than 18 months, nearly half a dozen TV stations have been launched there, with suggestive names, such as Al-Shar'iyah (The Legitimacy), Rabi'ah (the name of square where Morsi’s supporters protested against his ouster), Mikammilin (We are continuing), Misr Al-An (Egypt Now) and Al-Sharq (The East).
The MB-affiliated TV channels are said to be financially backed by the tiny oil-rich state of Qatar, a key supporter of the MB.
Websites
The expansion in broadcasting has been coupled with a similar growth in the MB's online presence, with almost all the new broadcasters having their own websites.
In a report dated 8 November, Abu Dhabi-based news website 24.ae provided several examples of Arabic-language websites and media platforms supportive of the MB. These included Al-Arabi al-Jadid (the New Arab), which was launched in London in April 2014. Its editor-in-chief is Wa'il Qandil, a former editor of Egyptian private daily Al-Shuruq Al-Jadid. He has often appeared on Al-Jazeera defending the MB and attacking the Egyptian government.
Among the new websites is one called Huriyyati (My Freedom), launched in Germany in November 2013, and the New Khaleej, launched on 15 April 2014 but whose base is unknown.
Although many of the online outlets are in Arabic, a pro-MB English-language website was also created, apparently in an attempt to influence public opinion abroad. This is the Middle East Eye, founded in London in February 2014.
One-sided view
The new media outlets appear to act more as vocal and aggressive mouthpieces of the MB than as news organizations offering professional, independent and impartial reporting.
They make no secret of their opposition to the current authorities in Egypt.
Even the latest arrival, Misr al-An (Egypt Now) TV, which started test transmissions on 17 November from Turkey, does not seem to be any different.
A recent report by Misr al-Arabiyah website, known to be close to the Islamists, said that the channel is the MB's first attempt at "impartial" media. But, the programming, tone and style of reporting indicate otherwise.
Misr al-An constantly portrays Al-Sisi as a "killer" who led a "coup" against the "freely-elected" Morsi. The promo of a programme, called The Tyrant, features /images of Hitler, Mussolini, Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi and Al-Sisi.
At intervals, the channel airs footage of what it says is police brutality against civilians and peaceful protesters. Sometimes, the footage is accompanied by revolutionary songs.
Inward-focus, same message
The content and programming of the majority of these outlets suggest that they are more aimed at group loyalists, rather than the general public or a wider base of audience.
Channels such as Rabi'ah TV, Al-Shar'iyah TV and Mikammilin TV (top picture) seem to offer a similar content. They broadcast almost the same songs that praise the "martyrs" and attack the "killers" and urge pro-Morsi protesters to remain steadfast and continue the "anti-coup" path.
They also take the government, state institutions and pro-Sisi private media to task. Most of the commentators and pundits interviewed either in the studio, by telephone or via Skype often appear on all channels.
Staff at the new Turkey-based channel told Misr Al-Arabiyah that Misr al-An aims to reach a wider audience, "unlike other MB-funded channels that mainly speak to loyalists". However, so far this does not seem to have materialized.
The numerous MB-affiliated media outlets which fail to provide impartial journalism and unique balanced content may have hampered their efforts to have any significant impact on public opinion, at least inside Egypt.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/egypts-brotherhood-expands-media-machine