GAI chairman defends SCAF's new media regulations

Egyptian official defends a recent decision by the ruling military council to temporarily block licenses for new satellite TV channels to force them to abide by media ethics

Chairman of the General Authority for Investment (GAI), Osama Saleh, says new regulations issued by Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) TV stations aim to increase respect for media ethics.
SCAF has recently decided to temporarily ban new licenses for satellite channels and also tighten legal actions against existing channels that do not abide by the law or who air unsubstantiated news.
Saleh believes the new regulations will help deter satellite channels that “spur violence and riots” which cause national security to be shaken at this “critical phase in Egypt's history.”
He also stressed that the new regulations do not contradict with the January 25 Revolution's principles as they aim at preserving the gains of the popular uprising by fending off defamation of the revolutionaries.
“This decision does not mean limiting freedom of speech, but it's a temporary pause that should result in further organisation,” Saleh said.
“This could later cause more serious and responsible satellite channels to emerge, especially after a few have crossed the line.
“A lot of media gurus and political activists are convinced that these channels are actually seeking to spread chaos and cause splits in the population.”
Yesterday, national security police raided Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr office in Cairo without prior notice and shut it down immediately.
A member of the channel's technical team has been arrested while people in charge of both the Al Jazeera team and the service provider whom they rent from have been questioned.
Media reports mentioned that the government has started an inspection operation on the legal accreditation of 16 TV news channels that started functioning in Egypt after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak in February.