Film maker Van Gogh’s Murder Accents European Media Diversity

Michael Hedges November 29, 2004

The EU and its member States regularly congratulate themselves for promoting ethnic and cultural diversity in media. Theo Van Gogh’s murder in an Amsterdam street sets a stark backdrop for a tableau vivant in which nobody waits in the wings.

Europe’s ethnic and cultural minorities have achieved legal, if not popular, recognition and with that diverse media offerings have been launched and promoted. While most States prescribe cultural mainstreaming with official language codes and less formal behavior protocols, minority language media is a growing part of the media stage. States are balancing the lesser of two risks; officially encourage culturally distinct media and, therefore, separateness or discourage diverse media and deny the real-world reality that media channels have a way of inserting themselves regardless.

“The Netherlands is a nation where people ought to want to meet each other, where cultures meet each other,” said Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende after Van Gogh’s killing and a spate of violent reprisals and counter-reprisals.

Last December (2003) the Dutch public broadcaster acquired nearly bankrupt cable/satellite station Colorful Radio in a bid to provide a program channel for ethnic and minority young people. The largely music channel languished as the Dutch Media Commission and management negotiated over content. The station was finally closed (November 14) after the Dutch Media Commission ruled that the programming contained too much music and should be 50% speech, a decision ultimately rejected.

Dutch public broadcaster NPS has offered on Radio 5 individual daily or weekly programs for minorities in minority languages. First and second generation immigrants were targeted with the ultimate objective of integration. When Dutch media policies toward minorities were studied in 1998, the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science at the time Rick van der Ploeg wrote: “I think it is essential that the public broadcaster express that we live in a multicultural society both quantitatively and qualitatively.”

Lebanese satellite television channel Al-Manar won conditional approval to continue transmission throughout Europe from the French Conseil supérieur de l ’audiovisual (CSA) despite previous sanction, challenges from politicians and the fears of Jewish groups. Al-Manar distributes its programs through the Eutelsat satellite system. No other European Union (EU) member state has approved the chains re-transmission. Al-Manar is associated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shite group widely viewed as an anti-Israeli, anti-semitic terrorist organization. The Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot called for the EU to place Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations.

At a press conference announcing the approval, CSA president Dominique Baudis explained that the approval is valid for one year “instead of the usual five” and that Al-Manar agreed to operate under “strict provisions….not to encourage hatred, violence or discrimination for reasons of race, sex, religion or nationality.”

The CSA previously sanctioned Al-Manar for a series of broadcasts, Al Chatat, deemed violently anti-Semitic.

The Council Representing Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) called the decision “official authorization by France for anti-Semitic propaganda” and suggested pressure from Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

Reported by Agence France Presse, an “indigent” Socialist Party spokesperson called Al-Manar a “propaganda tool of terrorists” and “contrary to values of the Republic.”

Baudis countered by saying the authorization is “in the strict respect for the principle of freedom of expression” and now allows the CSA greater control over the broadcasts.

Al-Manar General Manager Mohammad Haider would respect the French law but would not substantially modify programs. He referred to the Al Chatat series as a regrettable “error.”

Several radio channels, public and commercial, target Britain’s large Asian communities. The BBC Asian Network is available nationally on digital multiplexes. Commercial station Sunrise Radio is on the FM band. A recent review of BBC digital channels by former Channel 5 director Tim Gardam gave high marks to the BBC Asian Network, though it also suggested more emphasis be given to public affairs programming and language groups other than North Indian.

Sunrise Radio owner Avtar Lit, like every UK commercial broadcaster, wants the BBC off his turf. Interviewed in October by The Stage after release of Gardam’s report, Lit said the BBC “should create a multi-ethnic station” for Afghans, Somalis and Kurds.

Gardam’s review of the BBC digital channels found little negative impact on commercial channels.

Cultural mainstreaming as national policy will likely not change. The European Union through directives on human rights makes minority access to all institutions, including media, fundamental. Public broadcasters are remitted to provide services to all license fee payers. Commercial media will provide for any marketable target audience.

Media, however, shrinks or expands to its own demand.

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