“Bridging the Satellite Space between the Maghreb and the Mashreq Countries of the Arab World” [ Atlantis Ballroom ]
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM
According to a report issued by the Arab States Broadcasting Union about Arabic satellite channels in 2009, the share of the Maghreb countries (Western Arab) is less qualitative and quantitative. Out of the 650 Arabic satellite channels broadcasting to the region, the number of channels broadcasting from Northwest Africa remains only 30, representing only five per cent of the total TV channels in Arabic.
This raises a key question as the region’s population is estimated to be 85 million, or 27 per-cent of the total Arab population. The same trend can be seen in print and online media that have witnessed an accelerated growth in the Arab world while in the Maghreb countries it continues to remain relatively slow.
With regard to the local contribution to the media in Maghreb countries, there exists an acute shortage of media content in all aspects, although cultural diversity distinguishes the region’s five countries – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania – from others. This is despite the cultural and intellectual wealth which makes the region a consumer of imported media content while Mashreq (Eastern Arab) content reaches Maghreb abundantly and there is significant presence of media professionals from Maghreb in the Arab world, the Maghreb seems helpless to reach audiences adequately in the Mashreq.
This session will study the media scene in the Maghreb countries, and identify the obstacles to the dissemination of media content in the Mashreq region.
Topics:
- What are the forms of communication with the Mashreq countries? What are the obstacles? Is it the dialect or the content?
- Why have some programmes in the Mashreq countries succeeded in communicating with the Maghreb countries while it is not the same other way around?
- The 30 satellite channels in the Maghreb countries: What are their ownership, interests and operational structures?
- Are these 30 channels fulfilling the needs and aspirations of the audience in the five Maghreb countries?
- Can we talk about the “Maghreb space” which involves unique characteristics among the five Maghreb countries?
- Are there any television channels among the 30 in the Maghreb countries that target audiences in other Maghreb countries or is their target only national viewership?
Moderator:
Speakers:
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