RapidTVNews reports that two controversial Arabic channels had been removed from Nilesat’s platform of services. It is not clear whether the channels have fallen foul of the censor – or just haven’t been paying their bills.

One report emanated from the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ website in Cairo (Ikhwanonline) and said “that the Egyptian government has suspended the transmission of the space channel, al-Hikmah, on Nilesat without giving any reasons for the action."

The website’s reason for the suspension was that the al-Hikmah space channel launched a campaign to lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, adding: "however, the public relations officer of the space channel denied that the reason was the campaign launched to lift the Gaza blockade and said that the real reason was the financial difficulty which the [satellite] channel was undergoing and which precluded payment of its debts to Nilesat."

The second problem channel is the al-Barakah satellite channel, also transmitting on Nilesat. The report, carried by BBC Monitoring, said that Egyptian security services had suspended transmissions of the al-Barakah space channel on Nilesat, claiming that the channel was "transmitting programmes that threatened the Egyptian national security”.

The report added that the al-Barakah satellite channel began its transmission seven months ago, announcing that it was an "economic, commercial, social and developmental channel based on Islamic values and contemporary Arab-Islamic culture."

Rupert Murdoch is cooperating with News Corp investor, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, to launch two free-to-air channels serving Arabia; one for movies, the other for US shows. Fox Movies will launch in May and the second channel will air in  Autumn. James Murdoch and Prince al-Waleed discussed the deal when the two met at the Prince’s Riyadh, Saudi Arabia headquarters in January.

It has been reported that the channels will be owned by Fox, but will depend on Prince al-Waleed’s Rotana staffers based in Dubai for management, and ad-sales for income. Ad revenues will be shared. The channels will be uplinked to NileSat from Cairo.

The decision is adds more pressue to pay-TV broadcasting in the region. ART, Orbit and Showtime are still trying to gain a meaningful income out of pay-TV. This has become especially challenging with upwards of 250 free channels now broadcasting, and plenty of them providing quality programming.

Read more at RapidTVNews.

Following up on a previous report regarding the intention of the Arab League to institute regulatory measures on satellite TV, RapidTV News now reports that the 22-member Arab League voted in favour of the document at a meeting in Cairo, which stipulates that satellite channels "should not damage social harmony, national unity, public order or traditional values."

Programming should also "conform with the religious and ethical values of Arab society and take account of its family structure." Channels should "refrain from broadcasting anything which calls into question God, the monotheistic religions, the prophets, sects or symbols of the various religious communities."

Broadcasters should avoid "erotic or obscene material" or programmes that "encourage smoking or the consumption of alcohol," the latter prohibited by Islam. They should also "protect Arab identity from the harmful effects of globalisation."

Read more at RapidTVNews.

RapidTVNews reports that a Kuwaiti court has fined Al Jazeera $73,000 for “insulting the state". This occurred in 2002, when Al Jazeera transmitted a programme in which it was alleged that Kuwait was itself largely responsible for the 1990 Iraqi invasion of its country.

Following the programme the Al Jazeera local bureau was closed for some two and a half years, and not re-opened until May 2005. Al Jazeera was at the time fined an initial 5000 Kuwaiti Dinars ($18,300).

Subsequently a private action against Al Jazeera was started by four local lawyers who sought compensation of KD60,000 ($220,000).

Al Jazeera paid the KD5000 “fine” in order to re-open their local office, but now say they will be appealing against this latest ruling, which has in any case to be confirmed by a higher court.

Al Arabiya.net reports that Lebanese artist Jad Choueri is planning to launch an Arabic 'adult' satellite channel that will air steamy scenes currently censored in music videos, shows and movies. it will probably also include talk shows that handle 'hot' topics.

Choueri, who considers himself to be the Arab World's first 'sex symbol', believes that allowing such content on TV is better than allowing images of 'war and death'.

Needless to say, it's causing a storm, with Choueri already receiving death threats.

As an example of how controversial this story is, it has already created 500 responses on Al Arabiya.net.

Read story in Arabic.

Nilesat finds itself in the comfortable position of having a fully utilized fleet, with near-zero spare capacity.

Therefore, Nilesat needs second-generation crafts to extend capacity, and to provide back-up bandwidth to its 101 craft, launched back in 1998 with a 15-year life span.

Nilesat is in advanced discussion with two satellite builders, one of whom is believed to be Orbital Sciences, regarding building its new Nilesat 201 craft.

Some confusion, though, has arose from NileSat publicly seeking a tender in this regard before, and now scrapping the old tender to start a new one.

Advertisements due to appear this coming weekend in trade journals invite satellite manufacturers to re-enter the tendering process. Bids open from July 9.

Via [ RapidTVNews ]