CAIRO: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) expressed concern over halting a new talk show on state TV presented by renowned journalist Hafez El-Mirazi. ANHRI also criticized the government for forming a council to replace the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), assigning Tarek El-Mahdy, a military general, as its head. "The first episode of ‘Betawqeet El-Qahira' (Cairo Time) show should have been broadcast on Saturday. But Tarek El-Mahdy, a military general and member in the military council, decided to stop the program indefinitely because he refused for El-Mirazi to be the sole program host," ANHRI said in a statement Tuesday. The show had earlier been promoted on TV and via street billboards. The government has not yet clarified “the role and the jurisdiction of the new National Media Council … [which makes it look like] a means to assign someone a post rather than to identify a specific task then choose the right person for it," the statement read. "The military supervision on media does not serve the … sector at this particular time, when independence and professionalism are fundamental to realize the credibility lost in the decades during which the industry played the role of the regime mouthpiece," ANHRI said. Hundreds of state TV workers have held several strikes and sit-ins inside and outside the Maspero building since March to call for reforming state TV and sacking former head of ERTU Samy El-Sherif and other state media leaderships. They ended their strike once El-Sherif resigned at the end of last month. The consequent suspension of El-Mirazi's show was marred by contradictory reports. Last week, daily state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported that head of state TV Nihal Kamal decided to suspend the broadcast of the show promotion right after El-Sherif resigned, saying all decisions taken by the latter would be re-examined. On the other hand, rumors said El-Mahdy was behind the decision fearing the possible criticism of El-Mirazi to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Neither El-Mirazi nor state TV officials were available for comment at press time. El-Mirazi is known for his outspoken criticism of Arab regimes. He is the director of Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at the American University in Cairo as well as a former TV host in Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya channel. He resigned in March after he was not allowed to present a weekly episode of his show on Saudi Arabia.
