CAIRO: Merely two weeks after Al Ahly launched their satellite channel, their Cairo rivals Zamalek announced plans to launch their own channel, triggering debate over whether or not such TV channels should be allowed. Zamalek chairman Mamdouh Abbas announced plans to launch a Zamalek channel within six months in an interview published on the club's official website. "We have the full right to start our own channel that expresses Zamalek fans' point of view . and to have a strong media presence, Abbas said. The issue of private club channels was at the heart of a media debate when Al Ahly launched its channel with the aim of broadcasting their matches exclusively on it. However the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) refused, claiming to be the only party with the rights to market the National League games. Other private satellite channels were also angered by Al Ahly's move pointing that this would be in breach of a broadcasting contract they had signed with the EFA. With each party claiming ownership of the matches, the issue has sparked controversy at the People's Assembly where members of Al Ahly's board of directors were brought in. In the end, the PA refused any attempts to encrypt the satellite signals showing the matches considering it a right for all citizens. "This is a healthy phenomenon; these channels can create new horizons for sports, eliminate intolerance between fans and above all they act as a new resource for clubs to increase their incomes by LE 30-35 million, Gamal Gabr, Al Ahly spokesman told Daily News Egypt. Gabr said that these channels may help clubs become independent of businessmen who give donations, and decrease the financial burden on the state. "Those who criticize club channels have special interests, many of them work in private satellite channels, he said. Many columnists have been criticizing the policy of launching private club channels on the basis that it will intensify hatred between fans and that it will deprive the fans from watching the matches in case each club encrypted the signal for its matches. Essam Abdel Moneim, a columnist at Al-Ahram, suggested that clubs should prioritize building their own stadiums instead of private channels to increase their revenues, while another Al-Ahram columnist Hassan El-Mestekawy criticized the vague rules governing this issue and the ignorance of officials. On his part, EFA's vice president Ahmed Shobeir told the press that the association is working on increasing the revenues of the clubs. "In the past, clubs like Ismaili, Masry and Ittihad received LE 120,000 annually for showing their games but now the number has reached LE 700, 000, Shobeir said He also added that the EFA is expected to earn LE 60, 000 million per year from marketing the league matches. The new channel is slated for launch by the New Year to mark the retirement match of Zamalek captain Hazem Emam in which a major European club will challenge the team in Cairo. Ismaili, the third biggest football club in Egypt also announced its intention to launch its own channel.
