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The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 4, January 30-February 12, 2009

Al-Hurra's Future Remains Uncertain

The US government-funded Arabic television channel Al-Hurra is planning to launch a news program focused on events in the Middle East, reports The National. The program will be launched from the channel's bureaus in Dubai, Beirut, Morocco, Jerusalem and its US headquarters in Virginia.

This decision comes at a time when the future of the channel is uncertain under the new administration. The channel was launched during the Bush administration to counter the effects of Al-Jazeera's depiction of American efforts in the Middle East. According to ProPublica, after spending $500 million the channel failed to deliver on what it was supposed to achieve.

Deirdre Kline, director of communications at the Middle East Broadcasting Network, declined to comment on the new programs or the prospects of the channel under the new administration. "Al-Hurra is always looking for new and exciting programs," she said.

The president's decision to deliver his first interview with Al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based news channel of the Saudi-backed satellite broadcaster MBC, was perceived as a blow to the US government's own Arabic-language channel. Journalists and analysts interpreted this as a signal that the administration is abandoning Al-Hurra.

According to Ender Wimbush for the Weekly Standard, the president's choice was not surprising. Wimbush posits that appearing on Al-Hurra could have also affected the president's credibility in the Arab world, before reiterating that Al-Hurra should be "a niche station, offering a distinctly American take that underlines American culture, values and objectives."

In addition to accusations of lacking credibility, the station has received complaints that US views have not been accurately presented. Nevertheless, Wimbush argues that getting rid of Al-Hurra would be a mistake.

A team of researchers at the Hudson Institute of Washington DC found that American TV presence in the Middle East is still important and that a series of powerful recommendations could turn Al-Hurra into a hard-hitting niche station. There is a genuine desire in the region to have Al-Hurra present more provocative programming. "Al-Hurra would quickly become a potent transformative instrument."

Wimbush concludes that Al-Hurra a positive tool for US foreign policy but warns that its issues should be addressed sooner than later