RapidTVNews reports that a meeting of Arab ministers is going to consider regulations covering broadcasting over the Middle East, with plans to institute licensing measures for sattelite channels.

The current problem is that in many countries across the region, there is little or no need to be formally licensed to start broadcasting a satellite channel.

A meeting of the Arab world’s Information and Broadcasting Ministers in Cairo on Feb 12-13 will consider a pan-Arab approach to the problem, exacerbated because the responsibility for policing broadcasters is increasingly falling on satellite broadcasters.

Amin Bassouni, chairman of Nilesat is also head of the Permanent Committee for Mass Media, reporting to the Ministerial meeting. He says that a study was started last June to bring regulation to the Middle East.

Salah Hamza, CEO at Nilesat (pictured, above), says the lack of licensing in some countries places satellite operators in a difficult position. “The lack of regulation means we have to be judge and jury when complaints are made."

Read more.

Two Dubai-based Pakistan satellite stations pulled from the air following pressure from President Musharraf. Not a great ad for media freedom. Both GEO and ARY, which offer a variety of programming, including news, entertainment, sports and music, had been pulled from Pakistan's cable television system - along with other networks, including CNN and BBC - since President Musharraf declared a state of emergency on November 3.

Imran Aslan, president of Pakistan's satellite station GEO, broadcasting out of Dubai. GEO, one of the first companies to support Dubai Media City, has broadcast from the city since 2002. Not any more. As of midnight last night his station (along with ARY TV) has been pulled off the air, following a phone call from the Dubai government. It is understood both stations were handed a new code of conduct on Friday, had only a couple of hours to decide whether to sign it, then both got the axe.

Pulling the plug in Dubai means GEO and ARY will not be able to broadcast to the large (and influential) Pakistani expat community in the Gulf, North America and Europe.

The action has been criticized by the Paris-based media rights group Reporters Without Borders. It is unclear what kind of pressure the government came under to close the stations (CNN, BBC and all the major news agencies continue to operate from Dubai, and will have access to GEO and ARY journalists and editors).

Read more at the Kipp Report.