Could new development plan save Egypt's state TV?
Egyptian state television, reeling under accumulated debts and an inflated number of employees, will implement a restructuring plan under the supervision of an unspecified "sovereign agency" amid fears that supervision could pave the way for intervention into media work.
CAIRO — p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Times; color: #101010; -webkit-text-stroke: #101010} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Times; color: #101010; -webkit-text-stroke: #101010; min-height: 18.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font-kerning: none; color: #347ab7; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #347ab7} The head of the news sector at the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), Khaled Mehanna, told local media March 13 that the union — which is Egypt’s public broadcaster — is getting ready to upgrade its Nile News Channel as part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade and restructure the ERTU.
Cairo is trying to save the ERTU from its debts, which are estimated at 30.8 billion pounds (around $1.7 billion). The union’s advertisers, its main source of income, have largely resorted to private channels due to ERTU’s drop in viewership.
Minister of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform Hala Al-Saeed announced the plan to upgrade and restructure ERTU during a Feb. 18 hearing session of parliament's Media, Culture and Antiquities Committee.
In her speech at the session, she said, “The Ministry is participating in a restructuring plan that should end in three years. The ERTU restructuring plan ensures financial restructuring, content development, quality improvement and the establishment of a fund for employees’ end of service compensations.”
