In youthful Syria, media is cool, happy and proud

Michael Hedges October 15, 2008

And it’s a bit racy, quite different from the Western perception of Arabic media. Oh sure, there’s a line not to be crossed and the Syrian government listens in. But tuning in is quite cool.

Although strictly under government control for generations, Syrian media emerged from the backwater long before President Bashar Assad loosened rules and allowed privately owned broadcasting. Syrian film, followed by television, is widely exported throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf States, second only to exports from Egypt.

The Al Kanar Group stations broadcast in the languages most common and most accessible to young Syrians. Al-Manar mixes Arabic – described as “a relaxed informal Arabic rarely if ever heard here in the past” – and English. Rotana FM broadcasts Arabic and French. Mix FM is all English language.

MixFM was launched in March 2007 as the first 24 hour English speaking station in Syria. The use of informal Arabic has been a trademark of Syrian film and, most popularly, television.

 “What makes us different from other radio stations in Syria,” says Maja Lipovac, “our target audience is foreigners and English speaking people.” She describes the programming as a mix of “a great range of music styles. Tuning in – the station is live on the Web - there is little doubt of a ‘youthful’ sound.

“MixFM aims to entertain and educate our listeners through its commitment to innovative broadcast programs and high quality music programming.”

When the Syrian government authorized privately owned radio stations in 2003 the four earliest – and now gone – broadcasters were allowed only to broadcast music and advertising. Seven stations were operating in 2006. Currently operating radio stations have stretched those limits offering DJs and talk shows. Politics and religion are off limits, but little else.

Al-Medina FM is the oldest continually operating privately owned radio station in Syria, launched in 2005. According to Assistant Manager Amana Shaker, it employs 250 people and covers all major cities in Syria plus neighboring areas in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine Territories and Turkey.

Like her MixFM colleague, Ms Shaker projects enthusiasm for the station and its business  (“Our advertising market is great.”) as well as the country. “We believe we play a very important role at national and soon at international levels,” she says. “Our role is to show people around the world how great is Syria.”

Indeed, Al-Madina FM’s slogan is ‘Proud to be Syrian.”

Syria’s media and advertising market has benefited from the recent period of relative stability. The retail sector is thriving, particularly in Damascus. Ad spending has increased about 50% since 2002 and was estimated in 2007 at about €20 million. Billboards dot the landscape and satellite TV is widely available.

The Al Kanar Group has branched out into music and commercial production and, according to Ms Shaker, soon will launch a television channel.

Syria’s State broadcaster (ORTAS - Organisme de la Radio-Télévision Arabe Syrienne) has offered radio channels since 1946 and television since 1960. On radio ORTAS offers a youth channel, a general interest channel and the official news channel. In recent years ORTAS has upgraded its technical facilities, purchasing the latest digital components from Western suppliers. ORTAS is an affiliate member of the European Broadcasting Union.

In contrast to the privately owned radio channels, the ORTAS stations are the bland offerings of State media. Not the same is Syrian State TV, which has become a major producer and distributor of Arabic language soap operas and sitcoms. Still strictly controlled are any productions touching on sensitive political issues. In September an independent television producer sued both State TV and the government censor for refusing to broadcast a dramatic series on State TV and forcing a privately owned TV channel to stop broadcasting the series. 

Arabic media is in the midst of a sea-change. The tide toward more openness is rising. Like all tides, the action is mostly below the surface.

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