Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority (IAA) decided to stop broadcasting Bahrain bouquet on Arabsat, starting from June 1, 2012, in protest of the satellite’s failure to take an official measure to stop the hostile media campaign waged by the Iranian channels against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to incite sectarianism and shake security and stability, in breach of Arab and international agreements and conventions.
The authority denounced the Iranian channels’ exploitation of Arabsat to broadcast programmes inciting sectarianism, hatred, violence, terrorism and disseminating lies and defamatory media materials targeting political and social leaders in both kingdoms and tarnishing historical brotherly relations among the GCC countries.
IAA stressed the decision has been taken after it has repeatedly requested the Arab satellite since February 20, 2011 to stop the Iranian channel’s broadcast and put an end to its proved violations.
However, the executive body of Arabsat did not respond to these requests though the Iranian media violations are in breach of all agreements and conventions regulating media content.