The Positives and Negatives of Arab TV

Hazem Saghieh, Editor, Al-Hayat, London

The growth of Arab TV is positive in many ways, but those positives might be outweighed by the negatives, says Mr Saghieh.

"Its success in breaking the western, and particularly the American, news monopoly in the region can only be positive, just like the breaking of any monopoly. The same can be said of its achievement in getting Arab viewers used to criticism of their rulers and governments -- something that would have been unthinkable before the 1990s," he says.

The stations also provide a window to the wider world and those that broadcast debates with Americans and Israelis help to "demystify the ’enemy’ and show him to be a normal human being like the rest of us."

"However, the phenomenon of Arabic satellite television is not without its drawbacks, some of which are so serious as to make the positive aspects seem almost theoretical," Mr Saghieh says. Political bias is a problem. Lack of experience with free expression can lead to scandal mongering. "But what is worse is that the satellite channels are also selective in their criticism, seeking to avoid condemning their rulers and the governments that finance them," Mr Saghieh says.

Double Standards in the Media World

Maher Abdallah, head of International Affairs, Al-Jazeera TV, Qatar

There is a double standard at work in international criticism of Al-Jazeera, says Mr Abdallah, who mounted a spirited defense of its position and performance.

It is accused of being biased, of being close to terrorists and Saddam, of showing too much blood.

"Yes, we have been showing a lot of blood, there is no denying it," he says, and asks a question:

"Is it civilised to kill hundreds of thousands of people to civilise them, but uncivilised to show some of those dead? Will someone explain this to me? How can you kill hundreds of thousands to civilise them, and you don’t even bother to count the dead? Yet, you expect me to follow suit? When Al Jazeera shows a couple of pictures of dead and mutilated bodies, suddenly we are uncivilised."

Western media, notably the New York Times, have acknowledged they were misled about the reasons for going to war in Iraq and are now more critical of US policy than they were at the start of the war. But when Al-Jazeera criticises the war, it is accused of being biased or worse, says Mr Abdallah.

"When we say it, we are instigating. When CBS does it, or the Washington Post, nobody talks about treason. What we’ve been doing is showing the same thing, though exclusively Al-Jazeera."

Arab Media as an Emerging Power

Ian Ritchie, Vice President for Global Business, Associated Press, USA

Mr Ritchie, the former CEO of Middle East Broadcasting, provided an overview of the Arab media market, from a historical, political and economic perspective.

From an economic perspective, "I do believe Arab media offers an excellent opportunity economically, but for a variety of reasons it has been unable to operate successfully."

Advertising expenditures in the Gulf totaled 2.8 billion in 2003, up 17 percent on 2002, he says. Half goes to television, and 87 percent of the television advertising goes to the pan-Arab satellite television stations. Print takes 45 percent of the advertising revenue.

"But these are entirely misleading figures -- ratecard numbers are discounted by about 75 percent," he says.

In fact, ad spending per capita in the Arab world is only US $6, compared with $369 in North America, $117 in Europe, $23 in Asia/Pacific and $7 in Africa.

"Why is this so? Most Arab media organisations are not set up to make money," he says. "Political objectives - that is the issue that controls everything."

But things will change, Mr Ritchie forecasts a growth in new media. In addition, regulations will loosen, new investors will enter the market, market research will become more professional, multinational advertisers will spend more and the Arab world will become a growing and important market place.

The Printed Press Has Influence Too

Gebran Tueni, Editor & Publisher, An-Nahar, Lebanon

Even before the proliferation in Arab satellite television, the Arab press, particularly in Lebanon, had an influential role to play thanks to the power of national newspapers, says Mr Tueni.

"It is an error to squeeze the history of the Arab press to a boom in TV," says Mr Tueni. "It was well before the birth of Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya and other satellite networks that the power of the written newspaper word had an enormous role in shaping up the course of events, particularly in Lebanon."

The press in Beirut has never been state-owned, state-subsidized or state-run. All newspapers have been financed by the private sector and enjoyed enormous freedom and a high level of professionalism, he says. This has allowed the Beirut press to perform a continuous active role, even during the Ottoman Empire and the French mandate. It has never stopped struggling for independence, freedom and respect of human rights.

Nowadays, it cannot compete with the satellite stations in the domain of live and immediate coverage, but it is proving its ability to influence the course of events and provide testimony that the power of the written word is unassailable. It is doing so largely through analyses, diversity of opinions, transparency and incessant championship of democracy and human rights.

"There can be no democracy without press freedom,," he says.