Page 61 - The Channel Issue 2 2010

changing public opinion in the US but about projecting a point of view. Members in the audience said Al Jazeera should perhaps try to change its focus and not only look towards the US and Europe for its legitimacy as there are more people speaking English in China, India and Latin America now than in the US or Europe.

The session that discussed the rise of China and India in the region argued that for social, economic and cultural reasons, the Middle East needs to look East and not just West for inspiration. The session which was moderated by Dr Tayab Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the HCT looked at how elements of media developments in those countries can be a role model for the Middle East – e.g. can the Middle East learn from the way the media has diversified in China and India? Another session looked at how changing production techniques impact Arab traditions and etiquette. In Arab culture it is rude to interrupt in the middle of a conversation, but in the war of ratings every TV network now has a journalist like Jeremy Paxman who asks probing questions. The Arab world, it was argued, is living in the new information age now and people have a right to know.

Censorship remains a touchy subject in this region. Now with more than 300 different channels available on cable, satellite and Internet in the region, controlling media content is getting

increasingly difficult. While it was argued that the promotion of hate, racism, extremism and provocation needs to be curbed, critics felt that it was difficult to do so without stopping the free flow of

information. Training of journalists and more international exposure was also suggested as many felt that self-censorship is a big challenge. Panelists felt that media institutions are under threat in the region and efforts should be made to protect them as intellectual products.

While the debates on censorship are continuing, something very interesting is happening in the Arab world; a new media space is being created, this space is known locally as "Arab street". In this space people debate political, social, cultural issue and this 'street' is becoming very vibrant and dynamic. It has access to international media and uses various social media like Facebook, mySpace, Twitter etc. Since this region has a very high penetration of Internet and mobile phones along with the availability of satellite broadcasting, it becomes increasingly difficult to curb the freedom of speech or have media censorship. With this explosion in information and various ways of accessing it, the traditional stigma attached to media is also disappearing. If you look at the demographics of the region, these countries have a very young population who have the means and know-how to use the new media tools selectively. In the cafés and Malls and in new media organisations this young generation contributes to the vibrancy of 'Arab street'.

It is a highly saturated market with hundreds of local, regional and international TV channels available via satellite and cable. But the international channels are not making much general impact – they are mainly watched by an elite. When you ask my students, most of them would go for the local Arabic channels and Al Jazeera, but at the same time the number of channels coming in from abroad has given them more choice in terms of looking at different points of view. The younger generation watches less TV now, their attention span is short, they watch clips on YouTube. Actually the other day one of my students put together a very good package with footage from different sources – I don’t think he watched all these different TV channels, he simply got the clips on YouTube.

Following the huge growth of media networks, there is now a phase of consolidation. Only those will survive who have a strong financial basis and a mass following in the region, offering programming of interest to the young population. A few niche channels serving special interests are also emerging, reflecting the diversity of the media environment.

Channels like Al Jazeera have given the blueprint for pan-Arab networks, and this model is being replicated across the region. One of the Saudi princes is planning a channel similar to Al Jazeera. Another trend emerging in the region is the coming together of various industries, formats and styles. Hollywood and Bollywood is creating interesting new combinations – the first Emirati film ‘City of Light’ is a good example. Dubai forms a bridge between Europe and Asia, and with its media free zones is proving very attractive to media entrepreneurs from both East and West. The large expat population in the region is making such projects profitable. There are dozens of Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan channels available in UAE which are more popular here than the BBC and CNN. Some TV channels which are not allowed to broadcast from Pakistan beam their programmes back to Pakistan from Dubai via satellite. It's not surprising there is a buzz on ‘Arab Street’ as media from East and West is converging and creating new, exciting products with a much wider appeal.