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The British Broadcasting Coproration (BBC) confirmed
on Tuesday its plans to launch an Arabic television
news channel in 2007. Initially broadcasting
12 hours a day, the channel will the BBC's first publicly-
funded global television service. The announcement
came as Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera
finalizes its plans to launch an English-language
channel—which features a number of top International
Television Network (ITN) and BBC executives,
including Sir David Frost—in Spring 2006. The Arabic channel is not the BBC's fist venture in Arabic-language broadcasting. In 1994, the BBC launched an Arabic service under contract with Saudi- owned Orbit. The channel was short-lived, terminated by the Saudi government over a disagreement on editorial control. The termination of the channel coincided with the 1996 launch of Al-Jazeera. 120 journalists, broadcasters, and technicians of the 250 journalists rendered jobless joined the Qatar-based broadcaster. Funded by a grant from the British Foreign Office, the BBC World Service currently provides news in English and 42 other languages. The Arabic channel is being funded through the closure of 10 foreign language services, as part of a million ($53 million) restructuring of the World Service. Broadcasts in Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai are slated to end by March 2006. The BBC reports that the broadcasting union Bectu, which, along with the National Union of Journalists, condemned the projected loss of jobs, "said the decision to move funding from European services to Arabic TV appeared to be political." The London-based daily Guardian said the "fight" between the BBC and Al-Jazeera was "not only for ratings but to gain the hearts and minds of viewers in the Middle East." A spokesman of Al-Jazeera's main competitor, Dubaibased news channel Al-Arabiya argued that while increased competition was healthy, viewers in the region would inevitably question the new channel's motives. |
If the Arabic BBC channel "learns from the mistakes
of [US-backed] Al-Hurra, adopting an even-handed
editorial policy instead of becoming a mouthpiece for
propaganda, it will engage the many intellectuals and
politicians who have shunned the American channel,"
he said. BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman
denied the claim, saying that "we have no political
motive. Our job is to be a broadcaster." Research has
shown that there is strong demand in the Middle East
for an Arabic television service, he added. At million ($33.7 million) a year in operating costs, the new Arabic channel is expected to generate 148 jobs. The restructuring, however, will close 236 positions and create 201 new jobs through investment. The BBC World Service will bring over 60 years experience of Arabic-language radio broadcasting as well as online broadcasting experience. A 70 year-old operation backed by million ($424 million) tax funding, the World Service boasts 149 million weekly listeners and over 20 million monthly online users. "Will the BBC Arabic service make a dent in al- Jazeera?" asks The Independent. "Al-Jazeera," says Al-Hurra's news director, Mouafac Harb, “has hijacked the role of the mosque as the primary source of information and views. Al-Jazeera is the only political process in the Middle East.> Page up |
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Beamed to media outlets the world around, the arraignment
of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
sent tremors amongst Arab audiences: this was the
first time an Arab ruler had been tried for war crimes.
"I can assure you that there was no event like this in
the history of the Arab media," said news director of
US-funded Al-Hurra television station Mouafac Harb.
"This is so new to the Arab media; never has such a
high-profile trial taken place. They insist this is democracy
and an independent judiciary in action: I suspect
it may just be the usual confusion and muddling
through at the last minute," said James Hider of the
The London Times. Meanwhile US bureau chief of Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite channel Talal al-Haj, maintained that "this is history in the making, and there will be a recording of some sort." The trial "has to be transparent." said Al-Haj, an Iraqi. Hussein "has to be seen given his day in court and that the process is legitimate. If Iraq is coming into a new era, we need to see assertion of the rule of law and the equal treatment of people under law, including Saddam Hussein." Hussein is on trial over charges of participating in a 1982 massacre where 150 Shiites where killed North of Baghdad. |
Saddam's initial court appearance was broadcast on
October 14, the day before a final vote was cast on
the Iraqi constitution, ushering in a federal democratic
system for Iraq. The constitution's very text recalled
the violence propagated by the Hussein regime, "the
pains of the despotic band's sectarian oppression of
the majority."
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While US foreign policy comes under sharp criticism
overseas, American popular culture continues to draw
large audiences. Hedging on this fact, Arabic satellite
TV network MBC introduced an arabized version of
"The Simpsons" earlier this month. "Al Shamshoon"
began broadcasting just in time for Ramadan, when TV
viewership is particularly high, reports The Wall Street Journal. But for a few slight changes—unlike Homer
Simpson, Omar Shamshoon does not drink beer or eat
hot dogs, which are forbidden in Islam—the Arabized
version remains close to the original, adopting the
same animation. While Omar Shamsoon also works
at a nuclear power plant and his son Badr (the Arab
"Bart") gets in trouble frequently, he drinks soda and
eats Egyptian beef sausages. He no longer downs donuts,
but rather the traditional Arab kahk cookies. In order to appeal to the target audience, the show should be translated not only linguistically, but also culturally and socially, argued Zayed University Media Centre professor Nadia Rahman. The changes between "The Simposons" and "Al Shamsoon" are an effort to tailor the show to a Muslim audience. |
The
arabized "Simpsons" represents a growing trend within
the Arab world: translating Western cartoons to
Arabic and adapting them to Arab society, a shift from
"mangafication" to "disneyfication." Michel Costandi,
MBC's business-development director, emphasized
the novelty of "Al Shamsoon." "We are opening up a
whole new genre of programming in the Middle East."
With 60% of the Arab world under age 20 (40% under
age 15), this venture targets a lucrative market.
But not everyone is laughing. Most Simpsons fans,
both Arab and Western, are disappointed with the
new version. The most common complaint is that
what makes the Simpsons so funny, its witty and often
deadpan humor, cannot be properly translated into
other languages in light of the show's uniquely American
contextuality.
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Speaking at the George Washington University Forum for Public Democracy on October 14th, Karen
Hughes recognized that "for 60 years, America basically
ignored the freedom deficit in the Middle East,
hoping that stability would achieve security. And as a
result…we got neither." The Under Secretary of State
for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs added that
"instead, we got conditions so cancerous that people
were willing to fly airplanes into buildings full of innocent
people." In her address, Hughes emphasized the positive experiences of her recent visits to Turkey and several Arab countries. A "learning experience," that tour enabled her to understand how "different audiences" perceived a whole range of issues, such as Iraq, women's empowerment and the Bush administration's efforts to promote democracy in the Middle East. Hughes also acknowledged that she encountered strong views, particularly from Arab women who were "very articulate and very passionate and very eager to express their opinions." Some women were "pretty blunt" and asked the US to "mind [its] own business" while others emphasized the need for the US to "speak up even more strongly and more loudly and encourage voices who were speaking up on behalf of free speech and greater political participation in the Middle East." Announcing her plans of embarking on a “listening tour Indonesia, Malaysia and Latin America, Hughes outlined her new strategy to help mend America 's faltering image. The US would work to "engage, exchange, educate, and empower" its own citizens and those of other countries to reach its goals through "a strategic framework" of three key components. |
First, the US "must offer a positive vision of hope that
is rooted in the president's freedom agenda," she said.
The "lack of hope and desperation" remains a vital element
of antagonism toward the US in the region, pushing
some individuals to commit acts of extremism, she
argued. The second part of the strategy, Hughes said,
is to "isolate and marginalize the extremists and undermine
their appropriation of religion." According to
Hughes, the ideals of freedom of speech and worship
that the US expounds are "incumbent on all people and
people of all faiths—Muslims, Christian and Jews."
The world must therefore "speak up" against radical
elements and organizations such as al-Qaeda. The final pillar of Hughes' strategy focuses on the need to foster a sense of common interests between the Americans and people of different countries and cultures through academic exchanges and other such programs. "We want young people in Egypt to come visit America and we want American young people to go and visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Turkey and to study abroad," she explained. Efforts would also be undertaken to empower groups such as Muslim Americans who have "far greater credibility to debate issues of their faith, to condemn terrorism that's being committed in the name of their religion, than I do," recognized Hughes. The three-point strategy, Hughes stressed, contains "no new ideas or mechanisms" but instead emphasizes on "a more effective, rapid and vigorous" approach to "responding to rumors and outright lies and misinformation" regarding the policy of the US administration. The new strategy, she said, seeks to "engage, exchange, educate and empower" third-party groups who could then expound US policy and values. Page up |
Once Colin Powell's right-hand man at the State Department,
retired Colonel Larry Wilkerson unleashed
sharp criticism of the Bush administration during an
October 19 speech at the New America Foundation.
Amongst Wilkerson's victims was American diplomacy.
"I'm not sure the State Department even exists
anymore," he said, speaking to scholars, journalists
and others. Quoting an Egyptian friend, Wilkerson
also spoke of Karen Hughes' efforts to mend the US
image abroad, saying that "It's hard to sell [manure]." Wilkerson is not alone amongst former Bush cabinet members to criticize the current administration, whose approval ratings are now below 40 percent. When Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice assured at a hearing that "we have made significant progress" in Iraq, Senator Lincoln D. Chafee (R ) retorted that "Well, we all wish that were true, but we can't kid ourselves, either." |
While Wilkerson, a 31-year military veteran
and former director of the Marine Corps War College,
describes George H.W. Bush as "one of the finest
presidents we've ever had," he blamed George W.
Bush for being "not versed in international relations"
and Rice for giving up her role as honest broker while
top administration officials left the Army "truly in bad
shape" and "condoned" prisoner abuse, he said.
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In an October 19 editorial, The Washington Times
sees US government-sponsored television channel
Al-Hurra as a means to counter the "anti-American
bias" of Doha-based Arabic-language broadcaster Al-
Jazeera. A US public diplomacy initiative launched in
February 2004 by the Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG), Al-Hurra has faced strong competition
by Arab broadcasters such as Dubai-based Al-Arabiya
and Doha-based Al-Jazeera. The editorial also notes
that Al-Jazeera's success owes to how "it is perceived
as a more independent voice… mostly due to Al
Jazeera's editorial opposition to U.S. policies, particularly
in Iraq and Afghanistan." In contrast, Al-Hurra, "an objective news source," has "programming [that] features more neutral, objective reporting along with more balanced round-table discussions of U.S. policy," according to the editorial. Despite an increased market share and perceived reliability, Al-Hurra is "still trying to overcome its image of a mouthpiece for American propaganda," comments the editorial, noting that an AC Nielsen survey released earlier this year found that 21.3 million people watch Al Hurra every week in nine Middle East countries, a 15 percent increase from 2004. |
The editorial makes parallels with Radio Sawa, a
BBG outlet that broadcasts American and Arabic pop
music, where "the lack of genuine discussions of U.S.
policy, in particular, has hamstrung Radio Sawa's
public-diplomacy efforts." In conclusion, The Washington
Times suggests that Al-Hurra "continue to develop
and tout its independent and objective reporting"
so that it becomes "a valuable asset in winning
hearts and minds across the Middle East. To become
successful."
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In a
commentary, former
United States Information Agency (USIA) Associate
Director John Hughes recalls some of that agency's
successes and the prescience of cultural diplomacy.
Participants in international visitor programs bringing
foreign leaders to the United States and instructing
them in American politics and culture, "may not have
agreed with the policies of any particular administration."
Nevertheless, "they generally left with warm
memories of individual Americans and respect for
American institutions," underlines Hughes, who also
served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
in the Reagan administration. Past visitors included the late Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Prime Minister Tony Blair, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The USIA organized such programs as a means to accomplish its public diplomacy mission of "engaging in dialogue with the publics of other nations, and spreading understanding of US principles and values." Hughes highlights the disparity between the public diplomacy of the Cold War and that of today. Beginning in the early 1990s, public diplomacy gradually became less and less of a priority while funding declined dramatically until the USIA itself was abolished in 1999. |
As Hughes highlights, the budget of educational and
cultural programs today accounts for no more than
about 4 percent of the overall State Department budget
and 0.3 percent of the Pentagon's annual budget.
While the private sector does pursue a number
of former USIA programs, "resources for such programs
are generally leaner than even those available
through government programs," stresses Hughes. In
reference to contemporary public diplomacy efforts,
Hughes points to the Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy's conclusions, published in a report
last month, that cultural diplomacy "reveals the soul
of a nation." Despite political differences, "American
art, dance, film, jazz, and literature continue to inspire
people the world over," writes Hughes. Echoing the
Advisory Committee's findings, Hughes suggests that
"Ms. [Karen] Hughes and Dr. [Condoleeza] Rice to
press with great validity at the White House."
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Dubai-based Arabic IT News Portal (AITnews)
has announced
the formal launch of its website, the world's
first Arabic-language news service on information and
communication technology. According to AITnews
General Manager Ahmed Abd Al Qadir, the website
marks the first phase of what would be "the world's
largest portal ever to cover information and communication
news in proper Arabic."
The launch of the website was prompted by the need to both overcome the enormous lack of Arabic IT news and consequently to meet the needs of all Arab end users, he explained. In the next stages of the project, new sections will be added to the website, which currently includes 'computer world', 'internet news', 'digital cameras', 'mobile phones', 'e-security', and 'software applications' sections. In the next stages of the project, more sections will be added to the website. |
Launched by a group of Arab professionals spread
across the globe, the website is backed by a comprehensive
news network that covers regional and international
communication technology news around the
clock and provides the services in Arabic.
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[1] October 25, 2005. "World Service Confirms
Arabic TV. London: BBC News. Gibson, Owen. October 26, 2005. "BBC goes head-to-head with Al-Jazeera." London: The Guardian. Vallely, Paul. October 26, 2005. "Al-Jazeera: The New Power on the Small Screen." London: The Independent. [2] Wong, Edward. October 20, 2005. "For Iraqis, the big event has becun." October 20, 2005. Baghdad: The New York Times. Weir, William. October 18, 2005. "Coming Soon to Your TV: The Trial of Saddam Hussein." Hartford, CT: Hartford Courant. [3] El-Rashidi. October 14, 2005. "D'oh! Arabized Simpsons Aren't Getting Many Laughs." Dubai: The WallStreet Journal. EiTB24. October 19, 2005. "'The Simpsons' on Arab TV, Homer 's Duff beer becomes soda." Euskadi: Euskal Irrati Telebista. [4] Al-Qasim, Faysal, Fares, Walid and Saoud al-Mukhtar al- Hashimi. October 18, 2005. "Improving the American image the Arab way." [Arabic] Doha: Al-Jazeera. Al-Ali, Saad. October 15, 2005. "US Public Diplomacy Chief Offers Little to Improve US Image." Kuwait: Kuwait News Agency. |
Kaufman, Stephen. October 14, 2005. "State's Hughes To Visit
Malaysia, Indonesia on "Listening Tour." Washington, DC:
Washington File.
International Relations and Security Network (ISN). October 14, 2005. "US outlines new public diplomacy stand." Zurich. [5] Millbank, Dana. October 20, 2005. "Colonel Finally Saw Whites of Their Eyes." Washington, DC: The Washington Post. Wilkerson, Lawrence and Steven C. Clemons. October 19, 2005. "Col. Lawrence Wilkerson on the Bush Administration's National Security Decision Making Process." Washington, DC: New America Foundation. [6] October 19, 2005. "Keeping Al-Jazeera in Check." Washington: editorial. The Washington Times. [7] Hughes, John. October 26, 2005. "'Cultural Diplomacy' is Key to Winning Hearts and Minds." Salt Lake City: Christian Science Monitor. [8] October 16, 2005. "The World's First Arabic IT Portal Unveiled." Dubai. Al-Bawaba. Page up |
