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Arabic Versions of Foreign TV Channels Trigger Lively Debate

In a heated debate at the “Arabic Versions of Foreign TV Channels: What objectives and What Messages?” session of the forum, representatives of the foreign media channels including BBC Arabia, US Al Hurra, German DTC FILI argued that their editorial policies only reflected objectivity, neutrality and balance.

The aggressive moderator Diana Moukalled, Production and Programming Manager, Future TV triggered a debate after accusing the channels of being a mouthpiece of the country of their origin. “Isn’t Al Hurra a tool in the hands of the US?” she asked. She said that the channel supported the viewpoints of banned outfits such as Hezbollah and Hamas and asked whether by highlighting such issues the Arab world understood the US better than before.

Hussein Jradi, Media Personality from Al Hurra Channel countered the argument saying that such organisations needed representations on neutral ground. “There has to be a perspective from such organisations. “Their claims can be verified by an independent neutral Arab group,”
he explained.

Hossam Al Sokkari from BBC Arabia was asked whether his channel had the same reliability as its main channel, especially in the 9/11 context.

“We are not the voice of the British government. We only present news objectively without following political trends,” said Al Sokkari. The discussion also pointed to the lack of public indicators to judge public opinions.

“We have our own studies and market research to judge this,” he added.

Participants said that none of the channels were targeting the youth who represent 60 per cent of the population, or encouraging free dialogue.

“Arab viewers require BBC Arabia to deal with issues such as democracy and encourage dialogue but you are cautious and hardly touch upon issues affecting the core of the Arab world,” said Diana.

Russian and French channel reps Aydar Aganin from Rusya Al-Yaum and Nahida Nakad from France 24 admitted that they had arrived too late in the market to capture any substantial share. “We only aim at bridging the information gap between Russia and the Arab world,” said Aganin.

Winding up the debate on a high note, Mohammed Al Sanousi, Former Minister of Information, Kuwait said that there was no foreign cultural invasion through these channels. “We think it is an invasion from the West. We should look at ourselves. We have shortcomings that we need to overcome instead of accusing anyone,” he said.

He also said that there was a need to encourage governments to spend in the field of art. “We are not in a position to wage war,” he said.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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