Thursday, April 29, 2004
This is promising news. I've always felt that the closer we come to getting the truth out (as close as that's possible to do), warts and all, the better the United States and our friends will look. Our case is good. It just needs a fair hearing. Keep at it, guys.
(Via LGF) Reuters AlertNet - Arabs are watching US TV channel Alhurra -survey
The telephone survey of 3,588 people aged 15 or older in 13 cities was done by the French research company Ipsos-Stat in early April for the the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the independent federal agency that oversees all U.S. international nonmilitary broadcasting.
The results showed Alhurra -- in its first two months -- is being watched by an average 29 percent of the satellite-equipped households in seven countries, including a high of 44 percent in Kuwait and a low of 18 percent in Egypt.
The survey also found that an average 53 percent of the viewers consider the channel programming to be reliable or somewhat reliable. This includes a high of 70 percent reliability felt by Saudis and a low of 37 percent reliability among Syrians.
"I was very surprised by these numbers," considering all the negative press in the region saying no one is watching Alhurra and the fact that a religious "fatwa" edict was issued against the channel in Saudi Arabia, said Norman Pattiz of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
"Within the first two months of broadcasting Alhurra has quickly established itself as a player among satellite stations in the Middle East," he told a news conference...
Many Arab critics have argued that President George W. Bush launched Alhurra, the "Free One," as a propaganda tool to advance a war on Islam.
The Americans contend the TV channel is needed to compete for the hearts and minds of Muslims against pan-Arabic stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, which U.S. officials charge often distort U.S. policy and are hostile to it.
Pattiz said the survey numbers for Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya are much higher but still the results for Alhurra are "great indicators."
"Our product is credibility in news and information. If we don't have that, we're dead in the water," he said.
The station operates 24 hours a day every day and aims to "present U.S. policies accurately and credibly" through full discussions representing a variety of viewpoints, he added.
Pattiz said Alhurra and the U.S.-funded Radio Sawa, which also operates in the Middle East, still have hurdles to overcome in winning viewers and listeners.
But experience is proving that "if you give them an example of product that is balanced and that clearly tells all sides of the issues ... then they will come, and they have," he said.
The Alhurra survey was conducted in Beirut, Lebanon; Damascus and Aleppo in Syria; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt; Kuwait City; Amman, Irbid and Zarqa in Jordan; and Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
