CAIRO: A number of private satellite channel owners have joined forces and founded the Private Arab Channels Federation under the slogan "In protection of the rights of satellite channels, according to news reports. One of the federation's main objectives is to create their own code of ethics built on the basis of self-censorship. The foundation of the federation comes at a crucial time, as Egypt's Minister of Information Anas El-Fekky is in the process of approving a controversial broadcast charter for satellite channels. In a press statement, the union announced the appointment of five board members. Shiekh Fahd Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, president of Al-Eqtisadya [Economics] channel, was named chairman of the federation after a unanimous vote. The founding of the federation was called upon by a Kuwaiti initiative; the founding members are Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It was approved by the Council of Arab Economic Unity, as part of the Specialized Arab Federations. It urges all Arab satellite channels and all media practitioners to join the federation. This initiative comes in response to the document adopted by the Arab League at the summit of Arab ministers of information, which took place in Cairo last February. "Principles for Organizing Satellite Broadcast and Television Transmission and Reception in the Arab Region, introduced by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, calls on the regulatory bodies in Arab League member states to ensure that satellite channels broadcasting from their jurisdictions do not "negatively affect social peace, national unity, public order, and public morals or "defame leaders, or national and religious symbols [of other Arab states]. On their part, Moataz Salaheldin, media advisor at the Arab League, denied the validity of the Private Arab Channels Federation as the Arab League is the only organization with the authority to approve the foundation of any federation for satellite channels, whether they are private or public.
