JEDDAH, 27 October 2005 — The Middle East will soon become much hotter — at least in the cutthroat world of competition for television viewers. The British Broadcasting Corporation’s decision on Tuesday to establish an Arabic TV channel in 2007 took media watchers in the region by surprise. Welcoming Tuesday’s announcement, they say the new channel will present new challenges for Qatar’s Al-Jazeera and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya television channels.
“Whenever we have quality competition, it benefits us all,” said Dr. Khaled Batarfi, managing editor of Al-Madinah Arabic daily. “Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya have made a name for themselves in the Arab world. Yes, they have the benefit of being an Arab channel rather than being an ‘Arabized’ media outlet. But then, to have an institution as professional and as quality-conscious as the BBC as a competitor means tough challenges.”
“The BBC,” Dr. Batarfi said, “will put other TV channels in the region under a great deal of pressure. They will have to improve. They will have to be more objective and more accountable. As to who will be No. 1 in another 24 months, it is for the viewers to decide but the BBC certainly has huge credibility in the region.”
Dr. Batarfi thinks Al-Jazeera is the most-watched channel. “No doubt about that,” he said. “Even though there are a lot of question marks about many of its stands, it does currently rule the airwaves.”
In the Arab world, every TV channel is influenced by one or other pressure groups and, as a result, objectivity is the first casualty. “That may be true,” said Samar Fatany, a Saudi radio journalist.
“But people in the region no longer depend on only one media outlet. Everybody knows that there are two sides to a story and if one channel is giving us one side, another channel will give the other side. People are not naive anymore. They have many options. They cannot be taken for a ride.”
When reaching a conclusion, Fatany herself watches at least four channels as well as some other media outlets. “I watch Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, CNN, BBC and even Fox News. That gives you the whole perspective. This is where a BBC Arabic Channel will come in useful. Plus, the new channel will help clarify a lot of things that are agitating the minds of Westerners about this region.”
Fatany thinks many issues and conflicts are the result of misunderstanding. “In a world wracked by violence, a BBC Arabic channel can play a vital role in easing tensions. It is most welcome. It is a step in the right direction.”
That the BBC will have a headstart is not in doubt. Faiza Ambah, who covers Saudi Arabia for the respected Christian Science Monitor, said the BBC Arabic channel soon made a niche for itself when it was launched in the mid-1990s. A joint venture between the BBC World Service and Orbit, it was forced to close as a result of political pressure. In the two years of its existence, Ambah pointed out, it made a huge impact in the Arab world. Overnight, television channels in the region sat up and took notice.
“When it closed down, Al-Jazeera came into being. In a sense if BBC Arabic had not happened, there would be no Al-Jazeera today and without Al-Jazeera, there would be no Al-Arabiya. So the credit for all this revolution in television journalism in the Middle East should go to the BBC,” she said.
Ambah pointed out that both Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya suffer from critical drawbacks. “Al-Arabiya,” she said, “is seen as representing the views of governments in the region whereas Al-Jazeera is seen as a reflection of the Arab street. BBC will have no such handicap to overcome.”
“And remember,” Ambah said, “Arabs trust the BBC more than anybody else. It is a well known brand and too well known for its fierce independence and objectivity — hallmarks that make the BBC what it is: the world’s premier news organization.”
