I need an authoritative answer to the question of how much access
people have to American news channels in the Arab world. How easy is
it for people there to access American media? How much censorship is
there, and how effective is it?

Here is how Rami Khouri, a professor in Lebanon characterizes the
situation:
"We in the Arab World are slightly better off than most Americans,
because we can see and hear both sides, given the easy availability of
American satellite channels throughout this region; most Americans do
not have easy access to Arab television reports, and even if they did
they would need to know Arabic to grasp the full picture."
SOURCE:
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15509

I am working on a book in which I quote this statement. My editor has
challenged Khouri's assertion, saying, "This seems absurd, considering
that in some Arab countries you can be jailed for watching satellite
TV, and most practice official censorship. This just seems like
foolish posturing."

On the other hand, here is how the World Press Review characterizes
the situation:

"In the Middle East, the Gulf  War gave a push to the spread of
satellite television. The region became a focus for international news
agencies. Bahrain, disregarding the impact on Islamic culture, began
to rebroadcast CNN 24 hours a day on conventional terrestrial systems,
with a booster to allow reception in Saudi Arabia and other Arab
states. This became a spur to Arab countries to acquire their own
satellite systems. Egypt was the first to launch an international
broadcasting service for the Arab world when the Egyptian Space
Channel (ESC) started transmission on Arabsat at the end of 1990. This
was followed by Nile TV, another Egyptian international satellite
service, in 1993, and the Middle East Broadcasting Center, run by
Saudi Arabians from London. Orbit Satellite—set up by a Saudi group in
Rome in 1994—covers all countries in the Middle East and North Africa:
It carries 24 television and 24 radio networks including CNN, Disney’s
entertainment and sports channels, and the Discovery channel."

The article notes the existence of censorship in Iran but suggests
that it isn't very effective: "The Islamic Consultative Assembly
decreed in 1994 that watching international television was a “sinful
act” and banned the manufacture or use of satellite dishes.
Nonetheless, many homes in Iran do possess satellite dishes, and the
government has increased the number of television networks from two to
five in order to compete with international television. But in spite
of these efforts, the national broadcasting body is thought to have
lost some 67 percent of its audience to foreign competition."

SOURCE:
http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/947.cfm

I need to know: Does my editor have a valid point, or should I tell
him he's wrong?

Hi Sheldon~

It's an interesting topic, no doubt about it! But, first off, it must
be said that the amount of freedom allowed to the media varies from
Arab nation to Arab nation. In general, according to "Arab Media:
Freedom and Censorship," the trend is "away from overt censorship and
towards more subtle methods such as restrictive press laws, control of
paper supplies or printing facilities, and unfair taxation." (
http://www.al-bab.com/media/freedom.htm )

Even before the Gulf War, wealthy people in Arab nations had access to
satellite television. But according to "Arab Media," during the war,
they saw what an impact CNN had nationally and several governments
(most notably, Saudi Arabia) encouraged the wealthy to buy satellite
television channels in Europe. Other countries followed the example
and set up national channels. "Only Al-Jazeera, financed by the Qatar
government, dared to jostle traditions and political taboos by
programmes open to all opinions, even the most hostile to established
Arab regimes. Al-Jazeera was heavily criticised by governments who did
not welcome the space given to their political opponents." (Said
Essoulami, Executive Director of the Centre for Media Freedom in the
Middle East and North Africa [CMF MENA];
http://www.al-bab.com/media/introduction.htm )

According to some, these state-owned television channels probably had
far less impact than one would imagine. Newspapers were available to
more people, and "unlike much of the Arab press, which enjoyed at
least a formative development as privately owned newspapers that
functioned within the context of some sort of journalistic tradition,
all Arab television—-be it the prevailing state systems or ruling
groups left-wing or right-wing, market economies or socialist
economies, republics or monarchies—-was state-owned. More than any
other media, even if that other media was also state-owned, the
national television channels were extensions of the ministries of
information. It is no coincidence that in a number of Arab countries
the minister of information operated the major offices of his ministry
from the national television station building. " (Abdallah Schleifer,
TBS, http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Fall98/Articles1/Pan-Arab_bcasters/pan-arab_bcasters.html
)

CNN was barely available to a very limited number of wealthy people in
the Arab world. Then, in 1990, CNN became available to the Arab public
as a pay-TV operation known as CNE (Cable Network Egypt, originally
known as Cable News Egypt).  However, "this service would be in
English and would be encoded, and thus realistically available only to
a very small portion of the country’s actual TV audience."  ( Abdallah
Schleifer, TBS http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Fall98/Articles1/Pan-Arab_bcasters/pan-arab_bcasters.html
)

By the time of the Gulf War, the Saudi television allowed almost
anyone to see CNN. However, "In Saudi Arabia CNN was taped, and then
after censorship was rebroadcast several hours after initial satellite
transmission." ( Abdallah Schleifer, TBS
http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Fall98/Articles1/Pan-Arab_bcasters/pan-arab_bcasters.html
) For more information on how various Arab governments control CNN and
other programming, read the entire article.

Another important factor to recall is that CNN competes with
Arab-world 24-hour news stations, which, many people say, work hard to
discount the American station's news stories.

So, it seems the quote by Rami Khouri is a bit exaggerated. He tries
to dish Americans for having less access to news, while ignoring the
fact that many Arab nations still have their news--even CNN--filtered
by the government. On the other hand, to say that people in the Arab
world are commonly arrested for watching satellite television is
difficult to support. Your editor seems to be referring to this
article:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav041003.shtml

So I think the most accurate view of the television media in the Arab
world is somewhere in between Khouri's comment and your editor's.
(Again bearing in mind that conditions vary from country to country.)

Hope this helps,
Kriswrite

Keywords Used:
media censorship Arab world
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CNN censorship Arab world
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CNN Arab world
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jailed watching satellite
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arrested for watching satellite
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=arrested+for+watching+satellite&btnG=Google+Search

---

Request for Answer Clarification by sheldon-ga on 14 May 2003 13:38 PDT

Most of the sources your provided refer to the state of media
availability immediately before, during or after the first US-led war
in the Persian Gulf (Operation Desert Storm), in 1991. I need to know
what the situation is now, in particular with respect to the coverage
of the recent war in Iraq.

---

Clarification of Answer by kriswrite-ga on 14 May 2003 14:19 PDT

Hi again Sheldon~

My answer (that reality lies somewhere in the middle of what your
editor and Khouri believe) still stands. Here's some more information
that may help clarify.


***Number of Satellite Viewers***

From Usa Today (3/30/2003): 

"In the 1991 Gulf War, only CNN captured the conflict in real time for
viewers worldwide, and even then, few Arab households were equipped to
receive it. Now, 12 competing Arab networks blanket the Middle East.
Most are government-supported or -owned...In Saudi Arabia, 95% of
people have access to satellite TV. Whereas two years ago, 8% of
Egyptians had such access, now nearly half do. A majority in other
Arab countries have access to it, according to surveys by Telhami."
(Ellen Hale, http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-30-arab-media_x.htm
)

Islam For Today admits that "figures for Arab audiences are sketchy
but experts estimate at least 100 million people have access to
satellite networks." ( http://www.islamfortoday.com/iraq19.htm )	This
is a very high figure, if accurate, since there are about 250 million
people in the Arab nations.
	
You may also find this article, criticising a 2002 news piece (
http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Spring02/ajami.html ), helpful:
"What Some of the Arab World Is Watching,"
http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Spring02/wilmsen.html

***The Influence of CNN***

From an April 2003 article:
"What everyone does agree on is that what Arab viewers see on their
television - at home or at smoky cafes and restaurants around the
region - and in their newspapers is vastly different from what's
presented in the western media...'We are lucky to have these Arabic
channels because during the last war we were watching only CNN, so we
couldn't know the whole truth,' said Hamza al-Ghazawi, a 25-year-old
shop owner in Amman. The Arab networks, he said, 'show both points of
view.'" ( "We are lucky to have these Arabic channels because during
the last war we were watching only CNN, so we couldn't know the whole
truth," said Hamza al-Ghazawi, a 25-year-old shop owner in Amman. The
Arab networks, he said, "show both points of view." ( CNEWS, Nahlah
Ayed, http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2003/04/02/56606-cp.html )
	

Does this help?
Kriswrite