Posted on 01/27/2006 10:54:48 PM PST by AntiGuv
TRIPOLI (AFP) - Libya said it is heading toward allowing private newspapers, radio and television news in what has been a state-controlled media environment for more than 30 years.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, who also runs the Kadhafi Goodwill Foundation, was given the green light by his father to spearhead the plan though a new company.
"The first experimental program on one of the radio stations will take place in March," said Abdel Salam al-Mushri, an official at the company, which is called "1/9" in reference to the September 1 date of the 1969 Libyan revolution.
"Preparations are underway to create a satellite television channel which will be launched in 2007," he said.
"The first year, the channel will be made up of 60 percent Libyans and 40 percent foreigners," Mushri said without elaborating.
The company signed a 16 million dollar contract with the German company Heidelberg to build a modern printing facility and will open to Western publications, Mushri said.
"We have signed several contracts with international printing houses to distribute in Libya around 50 international and Arab publications, namely the US magazine Newsweek, Germann's Der Speigel and the French newspaper Le Monde."
Mushri added that the publications "will not be censored."
These publications were allowed in Libya but were censored before an international embargo was imposed in 1992 only to be lifted seven years later.
"We will publish in September a daily in cooperation with the British Financial Times," Mushri said.
"It will be a variety publication including politics and sports. Its door will be open to all Arab and Libyan journalists," he said.
Seif al-Islam Kadhafi has criticized Libyan newspapers for being "bland" and said "nobody reads them," and has called for "freeing the media from the stranglehold of the state."
However, the head of Libya's press association and editor of the Al-Jamamhiriya newspaper, Abdel Razzak al-Daheshe, said he was opposed to the appearance of private media.
Privatization "will limit" the media's freedom because they will be "influenced by the orientation of the owner," he said.
However, Abdel Salam Aouir, a member of the Libyan journalists' syndicate, said the development was "an important addition because Libyan media are behind (other countries) and this project will radically fix the problem."
Libya has four official newspapers as well as one state television and one state radio station.
However, the head of Libya's press association and editor of the Al-Jamamhiriya newspaper, Abdel Razzak al-Daheshe, said he was opposed to the appearance of private media.
Privatization "will limit" the media's freedom because they will be "influenced by the orientation of the owner," he said.
This is arguably the stupidest comment ever.
Libyan leader Moamar Kadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, talks to the press in August 2005 in Tripoli. Libya said it is heading toward allowing private newspapers, radio and television news in what has been a state-controlled media environment for more than 30 years.(AFP/File/Osama Ibrahim)
Moammar's son is the head of the family Goodwill Foundation. Rich!
This is arguably the stupidest comment ever.
Just curious, ever heard of Katheryn Graham?
I wonder if the Tunisia experiment is spilling over into the dark side neighbor? Libya seems to be a dark horse for the positive surprise of the decade.
If you mean of Washington Post fame, then yes.
She's dead, but she was an alum of my most excellent university. So there.
She's dead, but her legacy lurches forward...
Hey, I didn't know that. That answers a lot... heh heh he.
Just kidding.
Have a great weekend Torie.
I find Qaddafi (or whatever the spelling du jour) to be one of the more intriguing world leaders today. As I imagine you know, he rose to power at age 27 as a quasi-Marxist firebrand. The point being, he had plenty of 'political evolution' still before him, unlike many world leaders. It seems to me that he's changed considerably during the interim 37 years, and lately he seems to be a curious blend of realpolitik and idealism. That, and he's eccentric as hell..
Well in referrence the the "liberal" media here.. or the "conservative" media here.
If a new business has a business plan and that's to see the way of the world through one set of eyes that doesn't bother me as long as their is competition.
Instead of being owed by one man who runs the country you will have several companies competeting with different ideas and focus.
Eh, what's the point? There was really no such thing as an 'independent media' here or anywhere else anyways...Was all just a dream...
Qadaffi HAS changed. I know a lot of folks on FR say everything he does is a trick, but it was clear some time ago that he was opening the doors to things NO tricky dictator woulld ever allow us to see, not to mention destroying his relationships with the countries that sold it to him.
It is hard to know why this change happened; issues that come to mind are major medical issues (mortality), death in immediate family/friends, a progressive change which finally translated into a major policy shift, and even his own reaction to what is going on in radical islam today, which is an order of magnitude more disturbing than the terrorism he was invovled in - it is not unfair to say taht his terror-related actions are small-time compared to the scale and nature of what is going on today, and it may be that the role of terrorist organizations today has left HIM behind. He may also be concerned about succession or what could happen in his country after he is dead. This media thing is curious; this is more than just throwing in the towel on WMD.
He also knows that at some point a major western city may be hit with an NBC attack and he wants to be as far away from blame as possible, but private media doens't seem to have much to do with that.
Wasn't he a non-drinking buddy with Billy Carter, Jimmuh Carter's brother?
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