IRAQ: IRAQ'S FIRST PRIVATELY-OWNED CHANNEL BEGINS SATELLITE TRANSMISSION TO MORE THAN 90 COUNTIRES

Record ID: 647655

  • Title: IRAQ: IRAQ'S FIRST PRIVATELY-OWNED CHANNEL BEGINS SATELLITE TRANSMISSION TO MORE THAN 90 COUNTIRES
  • Date: 11th June 2004
  • Summary: (U7) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 11, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. ANCHOR READING NEWS IN STUDIO OF AL-SHARQIYA, IRAQ'S FIRST PRIVATELY-OWNED CHANNEL 0.06 2. ANCHOR READING NEWS 0.12 3. CAMERAMEN FILMING ANCHORS/ PAN TO ANCHOR SPEAKING (2 SHOTS) 0.30 4. CAMERAMEN FILMING (2 SHOTS) 0.39 5. SLV OF STUDIO 0.45 6. CU MONITOR SHOWING AL-SHARQIYA CHANNELS 0.50 (U7) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 12, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. SV IRAQIS SITTING IN CAFE WATCHING NEWS ON AL-SHARQIYA CHANNELS 0.58 8. CU/SV OF IRAQIS WATCHING NEWS IN CAFE (2 SHOTS) 1.12 9. SV MAKI AL HAMDANI, BAGHDAD RESIDENT, SPEAKING TO REPORTER 1.21 10. MCU (Arabic) AL HAMDANI BAGHDAD RESIDENT, SAYING: "During Saddam's era we didn't see anything; 'this general said this and this general said that' -- but now the channels are good but we hope that the channels will aim at helping the citizens in this new era." 1.39 11. SV SAMI KHUDIER STANDING OUTSIDE SHOP 1.46 12. MCU (Arabic) KHUDIER ANOTHER BAGHDAD RESIDENT, SAYING: "The truth is that the media -- the media channels and the satellite channels -- if they work for the interest of the nation, for the interest of their case and people, it will be more powerful than the victories in wars. The media -- the weapons of the media are stronger than the weapons of war." 2.10 (U7) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 11, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. SV EDITOR AND PRODUCER FOR AL-SHARQIYA WORKING IN OFFICE 2.22 14. CLOSE OF EDITING MACHINE (2 SHOTS) 2.35 15. CU/SV OF EDITORS WORKING ON EDIT (2 SHOTS) 2.53 16. CU/SV STATION DIRECTOR ALAA AL DAHAN, SITTING WITH EDITORS (2 SHOTS) 3.13 17. CLOSE OF EDITING MACHINE 3.18 18. SV OF AL DAHAN WORKING WITH EDITOR 3.28 19. CLOSE OF MONITOR 3.35 20. MCU (Arabic) STATION DIRECTOR ALAA AL DAHAN, SAYING: "Al-Sharqiya satellite channel is an Iraqi channel, which aims at telling the truth to the viewer wherever he is." 3.50 21. CLOSE OF MONITOR 3.54 22. MCU (Arabic) AL DAHAN, SAYING: "There are about 100 people (working for the station) -- we have a news office in Baghdad and one in Dubai. The station is hoping to open new studios in other countries -- this is part of our strategic plan." 4.21 23. SV OF TELEVISION SETS IN STUDIO 4.25 24. SV AL-SHARQIYA STAFF IN STUDIO (2 SHOTS) 4.33 25. CU TECHNICIAN WORKING IN STUDIO PAN TO MONITOR 4.45 26. CLOSE OF MONITOR WITH 'AL-SHARQIYA WRITTEN ON IT 4.51 27. SV TECHNICIAN WORKING ON COMPUTER/ CLOSE OF COMPUTER MONITOR 5.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVADR512SYPHMJNSPNLFNBO8JGRA
  • Story Text: Iraq's first privately-owned channel begins
    satellite transmission to more than 90 countries.



    Sitting in their newly establishes studios, Iraqi
    anchors prepare for their first news bulletin on
    Al-Sharqiya -- Iraq's first privately-owned channel which
    launched satellite transmission to more than 90 countries
    on Friday (June 11), setting up as a rival to established
    Arab stations like Al Jazeera. Al-Sharqiya, meaning the 'The
    Easter
    n one', aims at
    capturing a wide audience by using political comedy and the
    kind of impartial news coverage unheard of during decades
    of rule by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

    For many Iraqis, the Sharqiya channel is a welcome
    break from decades of state television praising Saddam, and
    stations set up after the U.S.-led invasion, seen by many
    as a mouthpiece for the country's occupiers.

    "During Saddam's era we didn't see anything; 'this
    general said this and this general said that' -- but now
    the channels are good but we hope that the channels will
    aim at helping the citizens in this new era," said Maki Al
    Hamdani, a Baghdad resident.

    Shortly after the downfall of the Baath regime last
    year, the United States set up the Iraqi Media Network
    (IMN) -- later revamped and renamed 'Iraqiya' -- and the
    al-Sabah daily newspaper to help feed the official line
    from Washington to Iraqis.

    The U.S.-backed media suffered a double blow when IMN's
    chief quit months into his job, saying the station was
    inadequately funded, and the editor of al-Sabah resigned
    accusing the Coalition Provisional Authority of
    interference.

    "The truth is that the media -- the media channels and
    the satellite channels -- if they work for the interest of
    the nation, for the interest of their case and people, it
    will be more powerful than the victories in wars. The media
    -- the weapons of the media are stronger than the weapons
    of war," said Sami Khudier, another Baghdad resident.

    The station has attempted to gain credentials as a
    self-styled voice of the people by funding projects like
    helping Iraqis rebuild houses demolished in the war, but
    such efforts have been constrained by finances.

    It also aims at broadcasting only Iraqi programs but
    critics ask whether Iraq has a big enough entertainment
    industry to provide enough content for the station to avoid
    foreign programming.

    "Al-Sharqiya satellite channel is an Iraqi channel,
    which aims at telling the truth to the viewer wherever he
    is," said Alaa Al Dahan, Al-Sharqiya's director, speaking
    in Al-Sharqiya's Baghdad office.

    The channel -- set up by Iraqi media tycoon Sa'ad
    al-Bazzaz, editor of the popular Iraqi daily newspaper
    Az-Zaman -- has set up studios in Baghdad and Dubai. It is
    funded primarily by local and international private
    investors. There are plans to find new investors to
    increase the channel's initial annual budget -- currently
    estimated at $30 million.

    "There are about 100 people (working for the
    station)....the station is hoping to open new studios in
    other countries -- this is part of our strategic plan,"
    said Al Dahan.

    In the near future, Al Dahan said, the channel will
    also help young couples with a limited budget by paying for
    their wedding and honeymoon -- a move reminiscent of
    Western "reality television" shows that have drawn huge
    audiences.

    Iraqis now enjoy a broad range of views featured in
    many newspapers jostling for their attention since Saddam's
    fall, reflecting an intense thirst for knowledge after 35
    years of censored, pro-Baath party media and with the
    arrival of al-Sharqiya on the media stage, the battle for
    the Iraqi audience is becoming increasingly competitive.




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