Television and Radio Stations:
caught between reality and ambitions to develop
By Omar Nazzal,
Director of Watan TV - Ramallah
Establishment and expansion
During the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian cities since 1967, the Israeli Authorities released permits
for a number of local television stations in cities north of the West
Bank, after other Arab cities in the triangle had been given such permits.
These other Arab cities had managed to develop television broadcasting,
both in cities occupied in 1948 as well as in other Palestinian cities, on
a large scale.
when the Israeli military redeployment from
Palestinian land was executed, the Palestinian Ministry of Information
supervised television broadcasts and paved the way for the establishment
of a number of other stations in the West Bank by granting them authority
to broadcast television and radio material under limited conditions.
Insodoing, the number of these stations peaked at 40, although districts
in Gaza were refused such a permit, despite the large number of
applications made.
Other Experiences
As a result of the above development,
the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) became the third Arab country
(after Lebanon and Iraq) to permit the existence of private television and
radio stations.
In Lebanon, more than 50 television and
radio stations - most of them belonging to factions and political figures
and forces - were established as a result of the political chaos during
the previous 20 years. Over the past two years, the Lebanese government
has been seeking the reorganise the sector and has approved a law
decreasing the number of operating stations and limiting the freedom of
expression of those that remain.
In Iraq, there is only one
non-governmental station known as al-Shabab TV (Youth TV) that is run by
Odai, the son of President Saddam Hussein.
Over the last few years, many private Arab
satellite stations, operating from European capitals, have been
established. In some sense, these stations belong to the Arab countries
they represent.
In the West, there is no such
thing as a government-run media and a developed and effective private
media exists in its place. Even though there is no such thing as a
Ministry of Information in the US, federal law prohibits the government
from owning the media or influencing it in any way.
Differences between Palestinian Stations
One cannot consider the various private stations in
Palestine to be similar. Some differences are more significant than
others. The most significant may be summarized as follows.
1.
The media message
Some stations set themselves clear
goals as to the message they wish to convey. They achieve these goals via
their private programmes and news coverage, including through programmes
transmitted via Arab Satellite. Other stations do not seek to convey
particular messages and only redirect programmes from Arab Satellite
stations. The local programmes that these stations broadcast, are nothing
more than games and personal dedications which lack creativity and
meaning.
2.
National and social orientation
Related to the first point, some
stations function in order to fulfill (or to contribute to the fulfilment
of) national goals as well as to the building of Palestinian society by
deepening outlooks and through the fostering of positive social relations
(and the rejection of negative ones). In addition, these stations play a
national role by exposing violations committed by Israel and by facing the
Israeli media and its provocative campaigns. Other stations are completely
absent, working intentionally or unintentionally for the deepening of
social negativity and for a decrease in development.
3.
The technical level
Broadcast is in itself an easy and
inexpensive method. Methods include the necessary means to transmit the
sound and picture in a way that is straightforward for the viewer to
grasp. The difference here only appears in terms of the geographical area
desired by the broadcasting stations. All stations suffer from poor
technical support. The technical equipment used is not adequate for
effective television broadcasting. This situation is mainly related to the
instability of these stations, an issue discussed later in this article. A
number of these stations lack the most basic technical support, whether it
be the instruments used for production and broadcast premises or the
safety of the location.
4.
Employees
This is one of the most
important and obvious points of weakness or strength. Employees in
stations vary from the staff consisting of only the owner and his family
members (including his children), through stations in which the level of
education of its employees does not exceed high school-level, to those
where employees are educated and qualified for technical and media work.
5.
Commercial advertising and income
Even in commercial advertising,
there is a considerable difference between stations, whether these concern
production, broadcasting, set prices or competition. There are rules and
regulations regulating advertising stipulating that the length of a
commercial should not exceed 60 seconds and providing that commercial
advertising should not exceed 8 minutes per hour of broadcast. Commercials
are also to be clear and original. There are other rules binding the party
wanting to advertise and the party producing the advertisement. There are
companies that specialise in commercial advertisement, whilst the role of
television stations is only limited to the broadcasting of these
advertisements. None of the stations follow this particular rule. In
addition, some stations have obtained and still receive illegal funding in
return for the production and broadcast of programmes in favour of the
party providing the funds.
Broadcasting wave-lengths
Stations have faced and are still
facing a serious problems, because of the lack of available waves that may
be used free from interference by other waves. This problem is primarily
related to the agreements made with Israel and with the agreement and
coordination with the International Communication Unity (ICU).
The Taba Agreements gave
Palestinians the right to use six television wave-lengths whilst leaving
the door open for the use of further wave-lengths. The six wave-lengths
were used by Palestinian television. Yet there was still interference by
Israel and other actors. To-date, the Palestinians have been unable to
obtain more wave-lengths, despite the fact that there is a desperate need
for additional transmission. The negotiating committee that in charge of
communications has sought permission for additional broadcasting
possibilities, but to no avail. This and other committees have faced a
great deal of inertia on the part of the Israelis concerning the
application of the agreement. This is compounded by interference with
transmission frequencies by neighboring countries as well as by countries
further afield. The ICU has failed to intervene with a view to solving
this problem.
A further complicating factor is
the prohibition, imposed by the Ministries of Communication and
Information, on the use of low frequency waves VL and VHL, whilst not
prohibiting the use of UHF high frequency waves, which are already used in
accordance with the ways described above.
In conclusion, most stations
function on inefficient wave-lengths. This situation decreases broadcast
capacity and prevents stations reaching viewers further afield. In
addition, wave-lengths are exposed to interference by Israeli: local
stations were forced to change their wave length more than once, a
situation justifiably irritating viewers.
Incitement
Incitement is a word that does not
have one single meaning. Any individual could use this term in a way that
suits their goals and interests. The following will point out the three
major understandings of the word.
1.
Incitement as a synonym for media activity
There is no such thing as a
media-outlet, whether it be governmental or private, that does not have a
certain goal. Usually the media tends to rely on objective facts and uses
its energy and capabilities to explain these facts in a manner that
furthers its own goals. Regardless of the way in which the media seeks to
bring out the truth or explain it, the consequence will always be a form
of incitement in one way or another. Thus the term may be considered to be
a synonym for media activity: the media cannot exist without being accused
of inciting, even if this incitement is neither political nor national in
character.
2.
Incitement according to the Israeli understanding of the term
In light of the first attempt at
analysing the term, Israeli accusations that the Palestinian media engages
in incitement should not come as a surprise. Both the Israeli and
Palestinian media should not let themselves
be affected adversely by accusations
of incitement: there is already a constant dispute between these two
parties. How can we as Palestinians fail to report on the confiscation of
Palestinian homes in Jerusalem by Israeli settlers? How can fail to call
on those whose homes were confiscated to hold on to their rights and to
remain in their homes? Such calls amount to incitement for Israel. Do we
therefore desist from reporting?
A problematic element to the
reporting is that the Palestinian media tends to exaggerate an issue in
order to respond to Israeli claims. In order to dismiss accusations of
incitement, the Palestinian media-outlets turn to accusing each other.
Some do so by using certain expressions or by discussing issues far
removed from the interests of the Palestinian public. At is at this point
that the Israeli media, which is more clear and precise when engaging in
incitement, becomes the winner in the incitement war: and we end up trying
to justify ourselves.
3.
Incitement according to the PA’s understanding of the term
In the eyes of the PA and of
some security forces, incitement is regularly committed by private
Palestinian television and radio stations. These stations have
consequently become a target for the security services concerned. The
closure of private stations and the taking of measures against these
stations has become a matter of course whenever a sensitive incident
occurs in the Palestinian Territories or even far afield, such as events
in Iraq showed us. Even though the Palestinian Territories are open to all
of the Arab, foreign and Israeli media, full coverage of any incident
remains an unfulfilled goal. At times, the media criticizes the
Palestinian Authority in order to fulfill self-interests. This situation
tarnishes the reputation of the PNA, whilst the Palestinian press and
journalists become victims and are accused of incitement. Despite the fact
that television and radio stations are not operating on the basis of a new
draft law prepared by the PLC, Palestinian journalists do operate
according to the provisions of the Palestinian Press Law. This does not,
however, provide sufficient protection for these journalists.
Development and Competition
The fact that there are twenty six
television stations and seven radio stations is extraordinary. Due
primarily to technical constraints, the airwaves of the Palestinian
Territories cannot cater for such a large number of stations. Reasons for
the excess in stations include society’s need for a multi-purpose media
phenomena (mental, political, cultural and artistic aspects), has been
made possible because of the state of disorder in the use of frequencies
and the fact that the broadcast of these stations sometimes only covers a
limited area, in some cases only a small neighbourhood in one city. The
second issue is related to the first: since the audience in a certain
region can only watch a limited number of stations, so people sense some
kind of comparison between them, and thus choose their preferred station
that provides satisfaction. This state of affairs will not continue for
much longer, as these stations plan to expand their geographical coverage,
thus making it possible for the viewer to benefit from a larger choice of
stations. If this happens, the weaker stations lacking technical
facilities will disappear and new investors will be encouraged to
establish stations with bigger and better resources. Such open and free
competition will lead to better quality and expanded choice, benefiting
the interest of the viewer. If we consider the amount of investment needed
for opening such stations, the limited income of our small economy and the
unsettled labor market, it is easy to conclude that the number of stations
will definitely decrease in the future.
Specialization
In such an atmosphere of competition,
specialization, absent until now, will become the norm. The western
experience has shown that having specialized stations (sport, economics,
news and politics, childrens programmes, religion….) is successful. The
viewer’s needs and interests will be more satisfied. Political parties may
also have a role to play with stations dedicated to getting political
messages across. This happened in Lebanon for a number of years.
Production and Protection of Ownership
In this process of development of
these stations, the production of these TV stations, i.e. programs and
news or even commercials, becomes a basic and vital matter. Production may
develop to include Palestinian drama programmes, especially if more
investment is forthcoming and if the state supports this field. It could,
afterall, become on of the principle resources of national income, as has
been the case in Syria. In addition, Palestinian production will become a
necessity to encourage professional Palestinians in this scope to come
back to their homeland once a law protecting ownership and rights in the
audio visual field has been issued. This will be even more necessary if a
pan-Arab agreement is reached in the region.
Clearly these ideas depend to a great
extent on the fulfilment of the Palestinian national goal of independence.
Once achieved, there will be no excuse for Palestinians continuing with
their piracy actions (such as transmitting programs from satellite
stations without considering the rights of other stations).
The necessity for increased local
production both in quantity and quality and the factor of competence
discussed above, will encourage a number of stations - those with
experience and facilities - to end their broadcasting and to refocus on
production.
Merging and Coalition
Competition and the need for development
will lead to a new reality which will force television stations to engage
in close cooperation and eventually to merge and unite in the form of one
strong station. Previous experiences tell us that this is possible: five
stations distributed throughout different regions of the West Bank merged
in October 1998 to form one station, the “Jerusalem TV network”. A similar
initiative took place when “The Arab United Co.” was established. Both
attempts failed, because subsequently circumstances changed too rapidly.
Another example is the Israeli television station Channel Two, which is
owned by three different companies. These share broadcasting time and have
achieved excellent success.
The Legal Situation
Another important issue is the legal
position of these television stations and the prospect of having a law
which organises their work and existence.
According to the 1995 Press Law, the
Ministry of Information is the only party with power and jurisdiction
over television stations. The Ministry has issued permits for the stations
to function and it is still the party with control over the work and legal
regulation of these stations. As for the role of the Ministry of
Interior, it believes itself to be in competition with the Ministry
for Information. The latter issues yearly permits to the stations,
renewable when a station’s work has been “acceptable” according to the
standards of the Ministry. A further condition is that the owner of a
station must receive a “good conduct certificate” from the Ministry of
Interior. On several occasions, the Ministry of Interior has used its
security organs to close stations and to arrest their owners and
directors.
The Ministry of
Communications also believes that it must
have a responsibility over the stations, since they use restricted
frequencies. The Ministry, however, has little jurisdiction in this field
as it faces the uncompromising Israeli position on broadcasting.
Negotiations with Israel will solidify the Israeli position.
Taking all these complications into
account, the Council of Ministers issued a decision on the 5 June
1997, confirming the right to freedom of expression of political ideas and
that Palestinian air-space is open to all political affiliations. The
decision also authorised the Minister of information, Yasser Abed Rabbo,
to form a special committee to study the current position of television
stations. The committee was formed of representatives from the concerned
ministries, members of the television stations and some correspondents and
technicians. Disagreements within the committee hampered progress.
Subsequently, the Minister of Information issued a limited number of new
temporary permits. This, however, did not protect the stations from
interference by security organs.
Trade Union protection
In mid 1997 the Union of Radio and
Television Stations in Palestine was founded. It included the majority of
the up and running stations, and had two central aims: to protect the
interests of the stations and to organise their work and their
relationship with political officials. Although the Union failed to
succeed in executing its suggested role, it created a sense of unity and
cooperation between its members. This was reflected in the decision by
stations from the north of the West Bank to go on strike following the
closure of some stations in the District of Ramallah.
The Audio-Visual Project Law
This project was put forward by the
Ministry of Information and was based on the peculiarity of the
Palestinian situation and on a similar law used in Lebanon. The Ministry
also held some workshops and seminars to discuss this project and
subsequently made some alterations. Yet it was to remain a draft project
and was never presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council for
discussion on the grounds that its conceptual basis presupposes that the
Palestinian Authority has sovereignty over the Palestinian Territories.
Until such a time and until this project receives approval by the
Legislative Council, the work of television stations will continue to face
obstacles and abuses based on unpredictable moods and interests within the
Palestinian community.
Conclusion
Regardless of all the circumstances
surrounding the establishment and the work of these stations, their very
existence represents in itself an extraordinary experience in our Arab
world.
It
also reflects the uniqueness of the Palestinian situation and expresses
Palestinian’s commitment to the principles of democracy and freedom of
expression. We may therefore be confident that these stations will develop
in the future and that some of them may even become satellites for the
Arab world and for the world, in its unified bid for establishing a modern
civilization, in general.
Mr. Maher Al-Masri
Director General
Ministry and Publications Dept.
Ministry of Information
Ramallah - Palestine
12th Sept. 1999
National Gteetings
Subject: Our report on "Media in
Palestine: Between the PNA's
Hammer and the Anvil
of Self-Censorship|
The PHRMG is happy to present its above mentioned human rights report for
the attention of the Ministry
of Information, for your comments and amendments, if applicable, to have
an official response from the
Ministry to be attached to the report when it is published.
Many thanks from your cooperation.
Yours truly,
Bassem Eid
Director General
PHRMG
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