Arab state broadcasting systems are currently in transitions despite resistance from the government. Transition is due to due to the pressure from the increasing democracy in the social and political systems, liberalization in the markets and advances in the technology. Currently in the Arab countries there are so many reforms in political and social systems hence the need for change in the Arab state broadcasting systems (Ayish 2010).
Initially the Arab state broadcasting systems operated in a way that the national broadcasting institutions were owned and operated by governments and guided by centralized state visions than by community concern. Most of Arab media were subject to prohibitions that limited what they could say. This is why the Arab state broadcasting systems need to adopt the public service broadcasting model that It is effective in addressing the region’s emerging political, social, and cultural concerns by spreading consciousness and cultural expression (Indrajit & Kalinga, 2005).
In order for Arab state broadcasting system to adopt the public service broadcasting model four key issues need to be addressed which include editorial Independence, Institutional autonomy, Non state broadcast competition and Program Enhancement.
There is need to address the issue of editorial independence in the sense that the editors in the Arab state broadcasting systems are not independent. The Arab state journalists and program producers in the radio and television have not been working based on their professional requirements but have been rather dictated by the governmental needs and political systems. This has hindered the radio and television journalist and program producers from exercising the freedom of expression. For this reason the radio and television broadcasters looked like mouthpiece for government (Ayish 2010). Change has been observed in some of the Arab countries such as Lebanon that passed the audio visual laws in 1994 that has promoted the diversity in the social and political systems. Since this time other Arab countries have been seen to adopt the same.
For the Arab state broadcasting systems to adopt the public service broadcasting systems there is need to address the issue of institutional autonomy. For a long time the Arab state broadcasting bodies have not been managing themselves but have been under the hands of the minister concerned. This gave the minster a lot of powers to control the radio and television broadcasters. The broadcasting companies have for many years longed for a time when they will have their own administrative systems. In the recent years some of the Arab countries have allowed the broadcasting bodies to have their own board members who are answerable to the minister in-charge. This has brought about autonomy in the administrative and financial sectors of the broadcasting bodies (Ayish 2010).
Another issue that the Arab state broadcasting systems need to address in order to adopt the public service broadcasting model is the non-state broadcasting systems. State broadcasters in most of the Arab countries have been the only allowed broadcasters. The commercial broadcasting services in the Arab states have been prohibited for long time with the notion that the state radio and television broadcasting services played a role in the developments of the Arab states (Ayish 2010). The radio and television broadcasting services has been an area that has attracted so many invested such that the Arab states that have allowed commercial broadcasters have seen many people to like the commercial broadcasters than the state broadcasters. The reason behind this is that the commercial broadcasters are more open and diverse than the state broadcasters (Indrajit & Kalinga, 2005).
Finally there is need to address the issue of program enhancement. The Arab state broadcasters have been adamant to change in terms of what they air such that much of the information given should adhere to the traditional culture. There is need to move with the current education and globalization in order to be relevant t the existing age groups (Ayish 2010).
Reference
Ayish, M. (2010) Arab state broadcasting systems in transition: The promise of the public
service broadcasting model, Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, 3: 9‐25.
Indrajit, B. and Kalinga, S. (2005) Public service broadcasting: A best practices sourcebook.
Paris: UNESCO.
