Board Chairman of the Egyptian Satellite Company (Nilesat) Ahmed Aniss has decided to reopen eight satellite channels who were prevented from broadcasting prior to the November parliamentary elections.
Al-Badr, al-Hafez, Nasa’em, al-Rahma, and al-Safa channels all resumed broadcasting on Monday, while al-Nas, al-Seha wal jamal, and al-Khalijiya channels, whose licenses were revoked, will broadcast experimentally until further decision, expected on Wednesday.
Employees at the channels attributed the decision to their protests on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to complaints made to the general prosecutor against Anas al-Fiqqi, former Information Minister, on Sunday.
Decisions regarding another ten channels which ceased broadcasting five months ago are yet to be made.
Aniss told Al-Masry Al-Youm he made his decision according to a court ruling. Requests from other channel owners are still being reviewed, he said. “There’s flexibility in discussing the return of these channels.”
Aniss called on channel owners to present fair media coverage, and adhere to the terms of their contracts.
