A government ban on issuing licences for new satellite channels has provoked a mixed bag of reactions, reports Reem Leila Following a meeting between cabinet members and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on 7 September the government announced a ban on the issuing of new satellite TV licences. The temporary moratorium, it said, would be lifted immediately after Shura Council and People's Assembly elections. The government has instructed the Investment Authority -- the body responsible for issuing satellite broadcast licences -- to take all legal measures against "seditious" satellite channel that jeopardise stability and security. Minister of Information Osama Heikal told Al-Ahram Weekly that the temporary freeze in issuing licences follows a plethora of requests to the Investment Authority for the opening of new satellite channels. "The government supports media freedom but is against exploiting such freedom for personal interests. The requests received so far are for channels that will be used to promote candidates and political parties. This is totally unacceptable, and we therefore decided to halt any new licences until after the elections," said Heikal. The minister denied reports that Saudi Arabia responded to the decree by transferring the broadcast of satellite channels to ArabSat. "This is an unsubstantiated rumour," said Heikal. "Saudi Arabia is still using NileSat to broadcast its satellite channels." Heikal also refuted reports that 16 satellite channels had been closed. Despite ministerial denials some commentators have denounced the ban as an attempt to curb press freedom. Ashraf Saleh, a professor at Cairo University's Faculty of Mass Communication, says the ban is a throwback to pre-revolution era practices. "What constitutes sedition needs to be clarified. Under the Egyptian constitution and international conventions signed by Egypt freedom of expression and exchanging information are the right of every citizen," says Saleh. Veteran writer Salah Eissa also condemned the decision as "an attack on freedom of expression". He pointed to revenue losses that will accrue from the measures. Securing a frequency on NileSat costs $300,000 a year. Fees for renting a studio vary between $1 and $5 million annually, and an average channel employs 300 workers. "Just do the calculations and you will see that Egypt will lose a huge amount of money at a time when it desperately needs to attract income. We are supposed to live in a free country where everyone can do whatever they want as long as it does not violate the law or infringe on the freedom of others." Other media professionals have argued that the decision is justified if belated. Mahmoud Khalil, who also teaches at Cairo University's Faculty of Mass Communication, stresses that the decision is temporary, and argues that it had become necessary because "some satellite channels have insisted on igniting people's emotions". Heikal also questioned whether it was any longer feasible to have three separate bodies -- the Investment Authority which issues broadcast licences, the Radio and Television Union which issues permits for satellite channel bureaus and the State Information Service which provides live broadcast units -- supervising satellite channels. "This is causing unnecessary complications. These three different bodies should be united in one entity. During the ban period there will be discussions on the possibility of creating such a body," said Heikal. On 11 September security officers and media officials raided the Agouza offices of Al-Jazeera Live. Several members of staff were arrested and broadcast equipment seized. The move was criticised by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information which issued a statement warning that "the ban will make the public feel the country is moving backwards". Heikal says that his ministry had received complaints from residents of the building where Al-Jazeera Live is located about disturbances caused by the presence of the office. "Officials then discovered they were working without any licence but using the licence of the main Al-Jazeera channel, which is illegal. Al-Jazeera Arabic News, Al-Jazeera International and Al-Jazeera Children broadcast from a downtown office and are properly licensed and as a result are still operating." Heikal added some of the technicians working out of the Agouza office also lacked the necessary permits. "As soon as Al-Jazeera Live secures the necessary legal documents it can resume broadcasting," he said. A number of other channels, working with expired licences, have been issued with legal warnings that they must comply with broadcasting regulations. s
