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Direct satellite broadcasting in the Arab Gulf region: Trends and policies

Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Box 17771, Al Ain, The United Arab Emirates

Ali Qassim

Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Box 17771, Al Ain, The United Arab Emirates

During the past decade, the six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) states, comprising of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain have taken long strides in the development of their mass media and national telecommunications infrastructures. One of the areas positively affected by this trend has been direct satellite broadcasting and reception. Not only have AGCC states made possible their populations' exposure to DBS television programming, but they themselves have become active participants in international satellite broadcasting, some of them are even beaming their TV materials on an around-the-clock basis.

This study argues that the rise of DBS in the Gulf is part of a three-decade trend of commu nications development in the region whereby national broadcasting systems in the six states have acquired high degrees of sophistication and maturity. The study notes that major DBS broadcasters to the Gulf region range in background from CNN International, to Middle East Broadcasting Center, London, to the French International Channel (CFI). Local Gulf popula tions watch DBS programs through direct-to-home transmissions, telecasts of selected foreign and Arab satellite services by national TV channels, and finally through microwave distribution systems.

The authors note that while DBS in the Arab Gulf region is here to stay, it has to be approached with a balanced vision that takes into account the national interests of Gulf societies and media systems. While total blackout approaches seem to be unrealitistic in light of accelerating innovations in DBS reception techniques, openness to international television via satellite should serve as a means of fostering intercultural interactions and of enhancing national media performance.

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