Iran’s TV channel taken off Arab satellite 11, January 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Al-Jazeera, Media in the ME.Tags: Al-Jazeera, Alaam, Alaam banned, Arab media, Arab television, Arab-Persian relations, Arabsat, Farsi television, Nilesat
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(Go to 10:23 for the relevant clip)
Two of the Arab world’s biggest satellite broadcasting companies, Nilesat and Arabsat, have taken the Iranian channel Alaam of the air for breach of contract. Needless to say, no specific, verifiable breach has been mentioned. It doesn’t take much of an imagination or much understanding of the Middle East to believe that this was done for political reasons and that this ‘breach of contract’ business is but the laziest of covers. Hezbollah, for example, Iran’s proxy, have come out and decried this change, citing political pressures.
In numerous fields, Arab Sunni states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia have, for years now (or for centuries in different ‘formats’), been engaged in what can broadly be described as a cold conflict with Iran/Persia. Occasionally this conflict bubbles to the surface in, say, the form of the Iran-Iraq war or even verbal jostling as to the name of the Gulf separating the Arabian Peninsula from modern-day Iran. Alaam must be seen in this context. As a font of Iranian soft power, broadcasting Iran’s point of view across the Arab world directly into homes.
This kerfuffle is reminiscent of many Arab states’ outrage at Radio Cairo’s pan-Arab exalting, Arab monarchy decrying broadcasts during Nasser’s pomp. These were believed to incite the local populations against their rulers, advocating Nasser’s wholesome, brotherly and lofty pan-Arab ideals against, for example, the morally corrupt, Western supporting, elitism of Saudi Arabia’s monarchical rule.
Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in recent years, often bitingly critical of, well, all Arab regimes at one time or another have enraged Arab leaders. Indeed, so far as I can recall, all Arab states have either sent petitions to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry to demand that they control Al Jazeera or have broken off diplomatic relations with the small, thumb sized Emirate.
(Incidentally, I am sure that there is an interesting article there: comparing Radio Cairo to Al Jazeera…)
Hat tip: A jolly good one from Abstract JK
The Gulf blog 
I remember a news item back around the first week of November 2009 that AlAlaam was dropped – ostensibly for non payment of fees.
Was it re-instated and this is a second drop?
Alas I don’t know…
[…] a satellite together primarily to compete with Egypt’s Nilesat. This stems from a recent decision imposed on Egyptian broadcast networks to stop broadcasting Iran’s Al Alam TV channel to the Arab world. […]
Hello,
Its really interesting a tv channel os off due to political reason .
excellent news
Thanks.