Broadcast charter must be watched closely

by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Sunday, 16 March 2008

CLOSE SCRUTINY: Timmins broadcasters must pay close attention to the Arab satellite charter to make sure it was not used to restrict freedom of expression. (Getty Images)

Broadcasters must pay close attention to the controversial satellite charter recently adopted by Arab governments to make sure it is not used to restrict freedom of expression, a senior official at the BBC has told ArabianBusiness.com.

The Arab League last month adopted a satellite broadcasting charter, which analysts say is aimed at restricting the relative freedom enjoyed by broadcasters, particularly in relation to the discussion of political and religious matters.

"If there is any suggestion that... freedom of expression, freedom of information or the activities of responsible journalists should be curtailed, that would be very bad news indeed," Jerry Timmins, head of the BBC World Service for the Middle East and Africa, said in an interview.

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"Time will tell what the true intent behind it [the charter] is and we need to watch it very carefully."

Speaking following the launch of the British broadcaster's Arabic television news channel, Timmins said the "broad statements" in the charter needed to be refined further for broadcasters to make a proper judgement on the intent of the document.

"It is difficult to see from what is in the public domain so far as to what the full intention [of the charter] is and what the final result will be," he added.

Timmins said, however, that he did not see the charter as an attack on the BBC.

The British broadcaster launched BBC Arabic Television last Tuesday across the Middle East and North Africa, complementing the Arabic radio and online services it already offers in the region.

The channel, publicly funded through a grant from the Foreign Office, will initially broadcast for 12 hours a day, but this will move to 24 hours a day in the summer.

The channel will reportedly cost the British taxpayer to the tune of 25 million British pounds ($50.5 million) a year, something that has angered sections of the British media and opposition political party the Conservatives.

The BBC is stepping late on into a market that has matured a lot over the past few years and now boasts a number of internationally renowned players, including as Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabyia.

Timmins said the BBC was not looking to compete with either Al-Jazeera or Al-Arabyia, stating that there was enough demand from audiences for another Arabic news channel.

"Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabyia are both established news providers in their own right, I think we will slot right in along side them. I don’t really see it in terms of competition," he said.

"We aim to be among the top news providers in the region. All research shows the audience watches more than one news channel, we aim to be at the top of that mix," he added.

Timmins denied that the fact the BBC was a UK broadcaster would make it more difficult to break into the market.

"I don’t think our audiences do perceive us as being foreign. I think they focus on the core qualities of the content they see, I think they judge us by that," he said.

The broadcaster is currently most popular in Iraq and Egypt and has good penetration in some of the Gulf states, according to Timmins. He said Saudi Arabia was the biggest market for its online Arabic service.

However, Timmins said the BBC was not looking to target any particular countries with its new service.

The BBC launched a television channel in order to remain competitive in the market, he said.

"All research that has been done over a long period of time suggests that if we did not make this move we would not remain competitive," he said.

"Without our free to air satellite you don’t really complete the circle of how audiences want to receive news information.

"In the longer-term only the news providers that can deliver across all these platforms will be successful."

BBC Arabic Television is the broadcaster's second crack at the Arab market. The BBC previously launched a television channel in partnership with Saudi-based Orbit, but that ended in 1996 due to editorial differences.

BBC to launch Arabic news channel
BBC Arabic Television will be freely available across the Middle East and North Africa via satellite or cable.

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Ministers adopt satellite broadcasting charter entrenching state control over media in Arab world.

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