Gudaibia Palace: Al Arabia TV Channel transmission from its studios at World Trade Centre has been suspended as the channel had not obtained the required licenses before starting its transmission few weeks back, according to the Minister of Information.
“The Information Affairs Authority (IAA) confirmed the suspension of Al-Arab satellite channel following its failure to obtain the required licensing approval to commence broadcasting in Bahrain,” Isa Abdulrahman, the Minister for Information Affairs said during the post Cabinet media briefing on Monday.
Reading the IAA statement, the Minister emphasised that the Channel failed to match the standards of regional and international practice agreements, to take account of efforts aimed at stemming the tide of extremism and terrorism throughout the region and the wider world.
“In this regard, the IAA highlights that the Channel’s non-compliance was reported to the Higher Authority of Media and Communications and has resulted in the decision by the Cabinet to suspend the Channel,” the statement said.
“The IAA stresses that the decision has no impact upon principles of media freedom and is strictly based on the government’s commitment to ensuring the diversity and impartiality of media outlets in the Kingdom.
“The IAA highlights its commitment to ensuring that all media institutions operate firmly within Bahrain’s rules and regulations, which are designed to protect the interests and views of all.
“The IAA continues to cooperate with private institutions based in the Kingdom to ensure their compliance with Bahrain’s rules and regulations, and recognises their important role in further enhancing the media and communications sector including creating more job opportunities, a key priority under the Kingdom’s programme of sustainable economic development.”
Earlier, the Cabinet also approved a recommendation by the High Authority for Information and Communication (HAIC) on the suspension of Al-Arab Satellite TV channel, in line with the reasons provided by HAIC and presented by the Minister of Information Affairs. “The channel had not obtained the required licences. It did not meet the necessary technical and administrative requirements before starting to broadcast in Bahrain,” the memo added.