** IRAQ [and non]. Media in Iraq - updated 17 June 2005 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS The Reuters Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme have launched Voices of Iraq (Awsat al-Iraq), a website that allows Iraqi media outlets to pool their news coverage, "addressing the information gap caused by the absence of a national news agency", says a Reuters press release on 16 March 2005. The website, which can be found at http://www.aswataliraq.info, carries reports from newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations in Arabic, with English and Kurdish pages to be added "in the coming months". According to the website, it is UNDP financed, with Reuters responsible for the editorial direction of the project. The website says: "The following media institutions contribute to the news of the site: Al Sabah al Jadid newspaper - Baghdad, Hawlati newspaper - Al Sulaimaniyah, Al Mannarah newspaper - Basrah, and Radio Annas - Baghdad." "The project is being directed by Paul Eedle, a former senior editor of Reuters. Project coordinator is Hassan Fattah Pasha, founder editor of Iraq Today, and the editor of the news exchange is Assem Abdel- Mohsen, former editor of Reuters Arabic Service", said Voices of Iraq. A new radio station, Radio Friendship, Voice of Iraqi Women, was noted broadcasting on FM in Baghdad on 10 June. A new Kurdish language television channel - Zagros TV - launched on 12 June, and is available on the Eutelsat Sesat satellite. Dubai-based Iraqi television Al-Fayha announced 15 May 2005 that it would be closing down following a refusal by the UAE government to renew the channel's licence, according to one of the channel's own presenters. Hisham al-Diwan told a caller to a phone-in show that the UAE "does not want to renew our licence," sugesting that the decision may be due to the country's "relations with neighbouring countries". No official announcement has been made by the station's managers or by the UAE authorities, however. A great deal of attention has been focussed on the daily "Terrorists in the Hands of Justice" TV programme on the government-owned Al- Iraqiyah channel, in which individuals accused of taking part in the insurgency "confess" on national television. According to a VOA News report on 4 April, officials say the programme is designed to show Iraqis that the insurgency is not some kind of "noble struggle for freedom", rather the work of criminals working for personal gain. Despite the programme's popularity, opinion on it is divided, says VOA, with many questioning the voracity of the confessions it airs. It has also spawned a similar programme, entitled "The Real Terrorism", which airs on the Kurdistan Democratic Party-run channel Kurdistan TV. Concern has been raised at the number of journalists killed and abducted in Iraq in 2005. The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) reports that five journalists have been killed in Iraq so far this year, with four of these deaths occuring in April alone. CPJ also voices concern at the number of journalists assaulted and kidnapped in Iraq, including French Liberation journalist Florence Aubenas, who has been missing since 5 January, and last seen in a videotape released on 1 March. Regulation More than 150 Iraqi journalists met in Irbil in April to form the Iraqi Journalists' Advisory Panel (INJAP), a group which will press for media freedom and rights at work. The group, comprising journalists, editors and media workers from all communities will also represent the profession in discussions with the new Baghdad government over media regulation, said a press release by the International Federation of Journalists. The group includes representatives of the newly-formed Iraqi Press Union, the former Iraqi Syndicate of Journalists and the Kurdisatan Journalists Syndicate, said the IFJ. NEW SATELLITE TV CHANNELS IN IRAQ SINCE 24 JANUARY 2005 Rojava TV, a London-based Kurdish-language TV channel started test transmissions on the Hotbird satellite at 13 degrees East. This channel broadcasts for one hour a week only, on Fridays between 0800- 0900 gmt, and is controlled by the Kurdistan National Congress. Turkomeneli Television, an Iraqi tv station that broadcasts terrestrially in Arabic and Turkoman from Kirkuk has been noted with transmissions via the Eurasiasat satellite located at 42 degrees east, covering the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. NEW TERRESTRIAL TV IN IRAQ SINCE 24 JANUARY 2005 In an announcement on 26 March 2005, Al-Sharqiyah TV confirmed that it would start terrestrial broadcasts on UHF channel 48 in central Iraq, UHF channel 42 in the north and UHF channel 44 in the south. The exact locations of these transmissions were not disclosed. NEW TERRESTRIAL RADIO IN IRAQ SINCE 24 JANUARY 2005 A new Iraqi radio station, Al-Rashid, was observed broadcasting on 91.5 MHz in Baghdad on 1 April 2005. The station is owned by the Al- Janabi Group, an Iraqi company which operates in the fields of agriculture, shipping, banking and other fields. Programming is a mixture of Arabic, English and Turkish music, with a detailed newscast at 1600 gmt. On 20 April 2005, Al-Hurriyah Radio was observed broadcasting on 96.9 MHz in Baghdad. The station is affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, broadcasting Arabic songs, with a major news bulletin at 1530 gmt. Ur FM was also observed on 20 April 2005 on 96.7 MHz, with programming consisting of continuous Arabic music. No political or economic affiliations could be ascertained from observations. However, the Iraqic Nation Communication and Media Commission website details the licence owner as Raied Jabbari, an Iraqi/British national based in the UAE. A BBC Monitoring survey of the FM radio band on 14 April noted Voice of the University (Sawt al-Jam'ah) on 97.0 MHz, broadcasting in Arabic. Since 20 April BBC Monitoring has observed a new radio station identifying as Radio Al-Nur (the Light) broadcasting on 90.3 MHz FM in Baghdad. The station's format is mostly music interspersed with frequent announcements in Arabic, including one giving their e-mail address as alnoor903fm@yahoo.com. It is not known if the station is linked to either of the two newspapers of the same name published in Baghdad, one of which supports Grand Ayatollah Sistani and says that the Shi'i religious authorities are the legitimate representatives of the Iraqi people RADIO BBC Monitoring can confirm hearing the following broadcasters as of May 2005: AM stations (all frequencies in kHz) 594 People's (Al-Nas) Radio - 0400-1500 603 Republic of Iraq Radio - southern Iraq 675 Republic of Iraq Radio (parallel with 98.3 MHz) - 0500-1510 756 Information Radio 909 Radio Nahrain (IMN), Basra 999 Radio Bilad (Lands) - 0500-1300 1030 Al-Salam Radio - 0700-1700 1053 Al-Salam Radio - 0700-1700 (alternative to 1030 kHz) 1071 Radio Babil (IMN), Hilla 1116 Dar al-Salam Radio - 0500-1800 (parallel with 1152 kHz and 91.0 MHz) 1152 Dar al-Salam Radio - 0500-1800 (parallel with 1116 kHz and 91.0 MHz) 1179 Voice of Iraq - 0400-1800 1206 Voice of the People of Kurdistan, in Arabic and Kurdish 1395 Al-Mustaqbal Radio (frequency in southern Iraq - parallel with 95.5 MHz) 1593 Radio Free Iraq, in Arabic/VoA in English, Kurdish, Persian FM stations in Baghdad (all frequencies in MHz) 88.0 Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East, in Arabic and French (carries some RFI French newscasts) 88.5 MBC FM 89.0 BBC World Service, in Arabic 89.5 Turkoman FM 90.3 Radio Al-Nur 91.0 Dar al-Salam Radio - 0500-1800 (parallel with 1116 and 1152 kHz) 91.5 Radio Rashid - 0300-2300 93.5 Radio France Internationale in French 94.8 Radio Diyala (IMN) - 0400-2100 95.5 Al-Mustaqbal Radio - 0500-1700 96.0 Radio Friendship, Voice of Iraqi Women 96.7 Ur FM 96.9 Al-Hurriyah Radio 97.0 Voice of the University 97.5 Voice of the People of Kurdistan - 0500-2000 97.9 BBC World Service in English 98.3 Republic of Iraq Radio - 0000-2400 (parallel with 675 kHz) 98.8 98.8 FM - 0000-2400 (owned by Channel 4 Radio Network, UAE) 99.4 Ashur Radio, in Arabic and Assyrian - 0610-1700 99.9 Sumer FM - 0000-2400 100.4 Radio Sawa 101.2 Radio Shafaq (Twilight), in Arabic and Kurdish - 1200-1700, repeated 0500- 1000 102.4 Radio Free Iraq (RFE/RL)/VoA in English and Kurdish 104.1 IQ4 Radio / Hot FM in English and Arabic - 0000-2400 105.2 Radio Dijla - 0500-0115 106.0 Al-Salam Radio FM - 0000-2400 106.9 BFBS Radio 1 in English 107.7 AFN-Iraq ("Freedom Radio") in English FM stations in southern Iraq (all frequencies in MHz) 88.0 BBC World Service in English 88.8 Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East, in Arabic and French 90.0 BBC Arabic Service, Basra 91.6 Voice of the South, Basra 92.8 Al-Nakhil Radio - (the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq) 95.7 Radio Sawa 96.0 Republic of Iraq Radio 102.0 BFBS Radio One 105.0 Radio Free Iraq 106.0 BFBS Radio Two 107.0 Radio Sawa Republic of Iraq Radio is the successor to Iraqi Media Network-Radio Baghdad, which was operated by the Coalition Provisional Authority. It is currently observed on air in Baghdad round the clock on 98.3 MHz FM, and for a shorter daily period (0500-1510 gmt) on 675 kHz mediumwave. It has also been observed in southern Iraq on 603 kHz. Republic of Iraq Radio started broadcasting via the 13 degrees east Hotbird satellite to Europe in April 2005, in parallel with transmissions on the Arabsat 3A and Arabsat 2D satellites. Radio Dijla - Iraq's first independent talk radio station, Radio Dijla (Tigris Radio) identifies itself as "Radio Dijla from Baghdad, the first independent Iraqi radio". Radio Dijla broadcasts on 105.2 MHz in the FM band in Baghdad, on a slightly variable schedule of 0800-0415 local time (0500-0115 gmt). The station is also available with a live audio stream available from its website at http://www.radiodijla.com. As far as can be ascertained, Radio Dijla is not available on satellite. The commercial station, which is the first independent talk radio station in Iraq, was founded by Dr Ahmad al-Rikabi, a former London bureau chief of US-funded Radio Free Iraq. After the Coalition war against Iraq in 2003, Rikabi helped to set up Coalition-run radio and TV stations in his role as head of the Iraqi Media Network. Radio Dijla carries a mix of programming including live phone-in programmes during which callers express their opinions on issue of concern to the Iraqi people and society; interviews; programmes on social issues; and Arab and Iraqi pop songs and entertainment programmes. During phone-in programmes, the announcers say: "Our opinion does not count, but what always counts is your opinion." According to a feature article in the London newspaper The Guardian on 10 June 2004, the station broadcasts in the local Iraqi dialect and not classical Arabic, and operates from "a modest family house somewhere in a western Baghdad suburb". It receives up to 18,000 calls a day, although it can only answer a fraction of that number. "It has become Baghdad's favourite," the Guardian reported, noting: "Radio Dijla has also become required listening for the country's new authorities." Voice of Iraq was launched in Baghdad in summer 2003, and is currently on the air at 0700-2100 local time (0400-1800 gmt). The station has a website entirely in Arabic at http://www.voiraq.com, which states that the radio "covers an area with 12 million Iraqi inhabitants". The site adds, among other things: "The Voice of Iraq, which transmits from Baghdad on 1179 kHz, is the first independent radio in Iraq's history. It started transmitting on 15 July 2003 after a month of testing. The founders of the radio wanted the station to be a distinguished media organ in terms of both accuracy and objectivity, broadcasting all news reports and analysing developments in a serious, impartial, professional and unbiased manner. "The Voice of Iraq presents a wide variety of intellectual talks, field investigations, panel discussions and many programmes on various subjects. "The radio is eager to safeguard unity and amity among the Iraqi people following decades of attempts to foment sectarianism and practise murder and oppression against the majority of the Iraqi people and the rest of Iraq's citizens. "The editorial policy of the Voice of Iraq takes great care of the Iraqi people's national unity, encouraging close relations among the various ethnic groups - Arabs, Kurds and Turkomans - who must have equal rights without any form of prejudice. "The Voice of Iraq is also eager to strengthen relations with neighbouring states and peoples and promote them in a way that would eradicate the harm that the defunct regime's aggression against these states had caused." Al-Mustaqbal (The Future) Radio - The radio is operated by the Iraqi National Accord movement (INA) and transmits from Baghdad on FM 95.5 MHz. The station no longer broadcasts on 1305 kHz. The radio describes itself as "the voice of the Iraqi National Accord." The INA movement has a website in English and Arabic at www.wifaq.com. Al-Salam TV and Radio from Baghdad - The following report headlined "This is Al-Salam television and radio from Al-Kazimiyah city" was published by the Iraqi National Accord newspaper Baghdad on 14 February 2004: "After the fall of the former regime and the end of the phase of propaganda media and obscuring the voice of others, Al-Salam Television and Radio station was established in Al-Kazimiyah City, in Baghdad, to broadcast programmes that call for love and harmony among the people of Iraq. "This station also provides people with useful media and reflects the wishes of the people from all ethnic, religious and sectarian affiliation within the framework of democracy and freedom of _expression, which they were deprived of under the former regime, without favouritism or taking the side of any sect or religion, and without circulating this or that ideology. "The television station has started its daily test transmission on Channel 5 from 1600 until 2000. "This station has an elite range of well-known media figures, including announcer Amal al-Mudarris, director Ali al-Ansari, writer Sabah Ruhaymah, and announcer Samirah Jiyad." Al-Salam (Peace) Radio is on the air daily at 1000-2000 local time (0700-1700 gmt) 1030 or 1035 kHz mediumwave. It is not known if this station has any connection with a similarly named music station on 106.0 MHz FM, Al-Salam Radio FM. Dar al-Salam Radio - Dar al-Salam Radio (Haven of Peace) broadcasts from Baghdad and identifies itself as the radio of the Iraqi Islamic Party. The station was first monitored on 24 March 2004. Initial broadcasts focused on the activities of Iraqi Islamic Party leader Mushin Abd al-Hamid and Islamic issues. In its initial broadcasts, Dar al-Salam Radio highlighted the importance of Islam in Iraqi society. The station also aired religious songs. BBC Monitoring observed a station identifying in Arabic as Dar al- Salam Radio on 91.0 MHz in the FM band at 1400 gmt on 18 September 2004. Programming on this new frequency was in parallel with the mediumwave service on 1152 kHz, first observed in March 2004. "Telephone FM" is a new radio programme produced in the German capital Berlin by young Iraqis and targeting a youth audience inside Iraq. Since 10 July the 90-minute "Telephone FM" programmes has been five afternoons a week by the Baghdad-based private station Hot FM, which is on 104.1 MHz. As well as reports and interviews conducted by telephone for the most part and then compiled in Berlin, Telephone FM will air a mix of Arabic and mainstream Western music. The project is sponsored by the German Foreign Ministry, which has provided 102,000 dollars in aid. Al-Nas ("People's") Radio broadcasts nationally on 594 kHz from Baghdad, planning to open an FM outlet in June 2005. Rebroadcast's German external radio Deutsche Welle for four hours per day. Ashur Radio was first observed on FM in Baghdad by BBC Monitoring on 24 July 2004. Programmes in Arabic and Assyrian are broadcast at 0910- 2000 local time (0610-1700 gmt) on 99.4 MHz FM in Baghdad. Ashur was one of the ancient capitals of the Assyrian Empire, situated on the River Tigris in northern Iraq. A clandestine radio station of this name broadcast on 9155 kHz shortwave prior to the 2003 Iraq war. Bilad Radio operates on 999 kHz mediumwave in Baghdad. Programming consists entirely of Koranic recitations and the call to prayer. The station is on the air daily at 0800-1600 hours local time (0500-1300 gmt). Radio Friendship, Voice of Iraqi Women (Radio al-Mahabbah, Sawt al- Mar'ah al-Iraqiyah), a Baghdad-based station aimed at a female audience, first noted by BBC Monitoring on 10 June 2005 on 96.0 MHz. British Forces Broadcasting Service BFBS radio and TV stations are available as follows (all frequencies are in MHz): BFBS Radio 1 Umm Qasr 106.5 Shaybah 106.5 Basra 106.5 Al-Amarah 106.5 Baghdad 106.9 BFBS Radio 2 Umm Qasr 102.1 Shaybah 102.1 Al-Amarah 87.5 Basra 102.1 BFBS Gurkha Radio Basra 104.0 BFBS TV is available only via DTH satellite and closed cable systems. US American Forces Radio AFN-Iraq has been observed on 107.7 MHz in Baghdad with local programming, identifying on air as "Freedom Radio" and "Freedom Radio 107.7." AFN Radio on 92.3 MHz in Baghdad carries a separate non-local programme stream. AFN Radio is available on the FM band as follows (all frequencies are in MHz): Baghdad 92.3 (Voice Channel) & 107.7 (AFN-Iraq/Freedom Radio) Balad 107.3 Kirkuk 100.1 & 107.3 Mosul 105.1 Quyarrah/Q-West base 93.3 Sinjar 107.9 Tallil 100.1 (Voice Channel) & 107.3 (Bright AC) Tikrit 93.3 AFN-Iraq has a website at http://www.afniraq.army.mil. The following are stations in operation before April 2003 that continue to be heard inside Iraq: Voice of the People of Kurdistan, operated by the PUK, currently broadcasts on 1206 kHz mediumwave and 4025 kHz shortwave, and also on 97.5 MHz in Baghdad. Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, operated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), currently broadcasts on shortwave 6340 kHz and FM 91.4 MHz (Salah al-Din), 91.5 MHz (Arbil) and 93.3 MHz (Dohuk). This station also noted on 13 February 2005 broadcasting via the Hotbird 6 satellite at 13 degrees east. Radio Azadi, Voice of the Communist Party of Iraqi Kurdistan Voice of the Iraqi People, Voice of the Iraqi Communist Party - The station broadcasts from northern Iraq, possibly using Kurdish facilities. Radio from Iran in Persian and Arabic, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Israel is also heard at times. TELEVISION TV stations in Iraq (sound frequencies in MHz ) E7 189.25/194.75 Al-Iraqiyah (IMN) E9 203.25/208.75 Al-Iraqiyah (IMN) E22 479.25/484.75 Al-Iraqiyah (IMN) E30 543.25/548.75 Kurdsat, Sulaymaniyah E31 551.25/556.75 Al-Hurriyah E33 567.75/572.75 Kurdistan TV E37 599.25/604.75 Al-Iraqiyah (IMN) E41 631.25/636.75 Nahrain TV E45 663.25/668.75 Ashur TV E54 735.25/740.75 Al-Mashriq Al-Iraqiyah, formerly known as Iraqi Media Network television launched on 13 May 2003. The station now broadcasts 24-hours a day. IMN TV was renamed Al-Iraqiyah TV in November 2003. The station is available on different channels in 26 major cities and towns across Iraq. For channel details, see the IMN website at http://www.iraqimedianet.net. Al-Iraqiyah TV also broadcasts on the Arabsat 2D and 3A satellites at 26 degrees east. Surveys carried out in mid-2004 indicated that Al-Iraqiyah, whose coverage area extends to between 70-80 per cent of Iraq, was the TV station with the most viewers. The leading pan-Arab channel was Al-Arabiyah, followed by Al-Jazeera. These two shared almost two-thirds of the satellite TV audience in Iraq. In February 2005, a 22m US dollar contract was signed between the Iraqi government and the US-based Harris Corporation with a view to IMN becoming Iraq's public service broadcaster by May. The day-to-day running is in the hands of Harris, with programming sub-contracted to Lebanese Broadcasting International, says a report by Index on Censorship on 1 February. IMN's director general Jala al-Mashta resigned in November 2004 over excessive government demands. Al-Sharqiya satellite TV - Al-Sharqiya, launched in March 2004, is owned by Iraqi businessman Sa'd al-Bazzaz, who is also the publisher of the Arabic-language daily newspaper Al-Zaman. The channel began regular transmission on 4 May 2004. It describes itself as "the first private, national media project that does not represent any political, ethnic or sectarian group". Al-Sharqiya is a channel with an Iraqi flavour. The channel's newscasts focus on developments in Iraq and the political, economic and social conditions there. Between newscasts, the channel carries talk shows and interviews, Iraqi music and drama programmes and cartoons for children. All drama series are Iraqi in terms of production, actors and dialect. The only non-Iraqi content is the cartoons. Al-Sharqiya does not air religious programming and does not carry the calls for prayers or Friday sermons. The channel frequently broadcasts the slogan seen in its logo "Al-Sharqiya - the truth television". Al-Sharqiya broadcasts 24 hours a day via satellite and terrestrially. It has offices in Baghdad and Dubai Media City. The channel is reported by the Lyngsat satellite chart to be transmitting from the Arabsat 2D, Hot Bird 2 and Nilesat 101 satellites, all in digital format. The channel has a website at http://www.alsharqiyatv.com Al-Diyar TV - Al-Diyar (The Homeland) began official transmissions on 20 June 2004 on the Nilesat 101 satelite after a period of testing. Al-Diyar is also available on Arabsat 2B (30.5 degrees east) and Hot Bird 4 (13 degrees east). The station is run by Iraqi media figure Faysal al-Yasiri in cooperation with the pan-Arab satellite pay-TV service Arab Radio and Television Network, ART, which contributed to setting up and financing the new channel. ART is owned by the Saudi billionaire entrepreneur Salih Kamil. Under Saddam Husayn's regime, Faysal al-Yasiri served in various high- level media posts, including head of Iraqi Radio and Television. According to the on-screen information card, the channel identifies itself, both in Arabic and English, as: "Al-Diyar, the Arabic channel with an Iraqi flavour." A map of Iraq is also shown in the background. In an interview published by the Iraqi National Congress (INC) weekly newspaper Al-Mu'tamar on 23 February, Faysal al-Yasiri said the new service would be "an Arab channel with an Iraqi flavour. The head office is in Baghdad, which will be the base for programme production and news editing by the technical and engineering staff, which will operate it and run the headquarters." Al-Anwar (The Lights), a Shi'i satellite channel, was observed on 15 September 2004 broadcasting test transmissions on the Nilesat 102 satellite at 7 degrees west. Al-Anwar was observed to carry the following two messages to describe itself: "Al-Anwar: A truth in the centre of the sky" and "Al-Anwar: Truth has only one colour." The channel has a website at www.alanwar.tv containing only the technical paramters required to receive Al-Anwar. Al-Furat (The Euphrates), based in Baghdad, began test transmissions in June 2004. The channel transmits via the Arabsat 2D satellite at 26 degrees east, Arabsat 2B at 30.5 degrees east and Nilesat 101 at 7 degrees west. In an on-screen message on 4 January 2005, Al-Furat described itself as "the voice of genuineness and moderation". Al- Furat was observed to express its total support for the election platform of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, which has the backing of Iraq's most senior Shi'i cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and whose electoral list comprises other key Shi'i figures such as Al- Sayyid Abd-al-Aziz al-Hakim, Dr Ibrahim al-Ja'fari, Dr Ahmad Chalabi, Dr Ibrahim Bahr-al-Ulum, Dr Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i and others. The station has a website at www.alforattv.com featuring reception parameters, contact details and a live feed of the channel. Al-Sumariyah (reference to Sumer, an ancient region of southern Mesopotamia in present-day southern Iraq) - This satellite TV channel began broadcasting from Beirut on 27 September 2004, via the Nilesat 101 satellite at 7 degrees west. It is also available via PanAmSat 4 at 74 degrees east. The channel stated that although it "operates under the licence of the Iraqi government", it would start its broadcasts from the Lebanese capital "for security reasons." Its shareholders are predominantly Iraqi. Al-Sumariya describes itself as "an independent satellite television which aims at showing the world the true face of Iraq, and not only images of violence." The station is owned by CET (Communication Entertainment and Television) SAL (Offshore), according to its website. Al-Sumariyah TV has a website at http://www.alsumaria.tv. Al-Fayhaa ("The Vast", one of the Arabic names for Basra), is an Iraqi satellite channel that began test transmissions from the UAE in July 2004. The channel uses the Nilesat 102 satellite at 7 degrees west and is reportedly licensed in Dubai Media City. It is also available on Hot Bird 2 at 13 degrees east. Muhammad al-Ta'i, chairman of the board of directors and director- general of the channel, has described Al-Fayhaa as "a purely Iraqi national channel with no links to other regimes, governments or parties", according to the Iraqi Shi'i group's Iran-based radio station Voice of the Mujahidin on 27 July. On 15 May 2005, one of the station's announcers said that it would be forced to close following the UAE government's decision not to renew its licence. However no official announcement fromeither the station or the UAE authorities has been forthcoming at the time of publication. The station has a website at http://www.alfayhaatv.net/ Nahrain TV is a Baghdad-based terrestrial TV channel which announced plans to launch in August 2004. Nahrain ("rivers"), was financed by an initial 25m-US dollar investment from Naguib Sawiris, chief executive of Orascom, an Egyptian telecommunications group. Orascom also owns Iraq's main wireless operator, Iraqna. It is operated by Video Cairo Sat, an Egyptian production company. Mohammed Gohar, the founder of Video Cairo Sat, told the International Herald Tribune in remarks published on 16 August 2004: "We have no agenda... We just want to inform and entertain and basically to help people to cope with their daily lives in what is a very shaky and chaotic situation." Nahrain's offices in Baghdad employ a staff of around 80, all of them Iraqi nationals. A poll published by the Egypt Times on 3 May 2005 found that Nahrain TV was the "most popular terrestrial channel" in Iraq. According to the International Herald Tribune, Nahrain's 10-hour daily programming schedule "includes ample doses of news and public affairs content... interspersed with musical variety shows, children's cartoons and recent Arabic sitcoms or dramas from Egypt or the Gulf". The station has a website at http://www.imnsr.com/ Arabic News Broadcast - A UK-based pan-Arab satellite TV channel, on the Hotbird 4, Eutelsat W1 and Nilesat satellites. The channel is reported to have four regional bureaus in the Middle East and is believed to be uplinked from Beirut. ANB is a venture launched by a group of businessmen from different parts of the Arab world and has "the single goal of conquering the Iraqi market", according to the Transnational Broadcasting Studies (TBS) journal (spring-summer 2004). The general manager of ANB is Butrus al-Khuri, who states that ANB "is financed by a group of businessmen from Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Tunisia, and will depend exclusively on advertisements for revenue. It will not be based only in London, but will have centres in all of those countries. ANB's programming will be entirely in Arabic, except for one daily news bulletin in English, as well as a weekly talk show that will host an English native speaker." Al-Mashriq TV - An independent television channel which started broadcasting in June 2004 on UHF channel 54 in Baghdad. Channel describes itself as "Al-Mashriq, the television of Iraq and Iraqis". Ashur TV - This terrestrial TV station transmits on UHF channel 45. It is run by the Assyrian Democratic Movement. The channel has been observed to carry a variety of programmes that include newscasts, science programmes, songs, drama series and other programmes. Ashur TV has a website at http://www.ashurtv.org. Kurdsat television - broadcasts in Kurdish on UHF channel 30 and via the Hotbird satellite. It is run by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Al-Hurriyah [Freedom] television - broadcasts in Arabic on UHF channel 31. It is also run by the PUK. Kurdistan Television - received in Baghdad on UHF channel 33. It is run by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Karbala - a local TV channel was launched on 16 April 2003, according to United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi TV on 6 May. Similar small-scale local channels are reported to be operating in Najaf and Kut, according to BBC News Online reporter Tarik Kafala, who visited the stations in June 2003. Ninawa TV was launched in mid-July 2003. The Baghdad newspaper Al-Ittihad reported on 14 July that an independent radio station called Ninawa Radio also operates. Mosul TV was the "first station" to resume transmission in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Husayn, Dubai-based news channel Al-Arabiya TV reported on 10 May 2003. Kirkuk TV channel started broadcasts on 23 April 2003 "under the supervision of the coalition forces", according to a report by the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) newspaper Brayati on 25 April. PUK TV in Kirkuk - The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan launched a new TV channel in Kirkuk on 23 March 2004, the Baghdad newspaper Al-Mashriq reported. The report says that its broadcasts covers Kirkuk and surrounding areas. An official source at the station said that its goal was to enhance brotherly relations among ethnic groups in the city. He added that broadcasting will be in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkomen and Syriac to include all ethnic groups in Kirkuk. ATB TV in Kirkuk - Local TV channel ATB began test broadcasts in Kirkuk in June 2004, initially for eight hours a day. The channel is affiliated with the Kurdistan Communist Party. "ATB is the seventh television channel broadcasting to Kirkuk citizens, along with other channels affiliated with the main Kurdish, Islamic and Turkomen parties, in addition to Kirkuk Television, sponsored and supervised by the coalition forces. Moreover, Kirkuk has eight radio stations broadcasting programmes in local languages spoken by various ethnic groups in the governorate," the Baghdad newspaper Al-Ahali reported on 16 June 2004. Turkomaneli TV and radio was launched in Kirkuk in April 2003 and broadcasts on behalf of the Iraqi Turkoman Front. Turkomaneli Radio opened radio stations in Talla'far and Mosul on 6 and 8 May 2003 respectively, the Iraqi Turkoman Front newspaper Turkomaneli reported on 11 May. The channel is available on UHF channel 56 in Kirkuk, and on the Eurasiasat satellite at 42 degrees east. The channel operates a website at http://www.turkomenelitv.com Dijlah (Tigris) satellite channel, with headquarters in Mosul, launched at the start of August 2004. It broadcasts in Kurdish and Arabic. Zagros TV, a Kurdish language satellite channel, based in Arbil and available on the Eutelsat Sesat satellite at 36 degrees east orbital position. IRANIAN BROADCAST MEDIA ACCESSIBLE IN IRAQ TELEVISION The Iran-based Al-Alam TV channel in Arabic and English is a 24-hour news channel transmitted on four satellites (Arabsat, Asiasat, Telstar and Hot Bird satellites) and can be received in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and America. Al-Alam broadcasts into Baghdad from a powerful transmitter about 150 km away, just over the Iran-Iraq border. It is the only foreign channel that can be viewed by Iraqis without a satellite dish. That has sent its viewership soaring among Iraqis, who cannot afford a satellite dish and receiver. The Arabic channel began broadcasting in February 2003. English content currently is limited to horizontal news subtitles or news tickers. The station has a website at www.alalam.ir. Sahar Universal Network 1 and 2 television, Iran's external satellite TV service on the Hot Bird 1-6 satellites, is viewable across Iraq and includes Arabic programming. It broadcasts on the 13 degrees East Hot Bird 1-6 satellite daily from 0500-2300 gmt. Its website is located at http://www.sahar.tv. Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran television in Arabic is based in Tehran and sponsored by the state-run Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It broadcasts daily to Iraq on the Intelsat 902 satellite at 62 degrees east, 10973 MHz, vertical polarization. RADIO Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI) external service in Arabic can be heard on mediumwave and shortwave inside Iraq as well as via the Internet at http://www.irib.ir. INTERNATIONAL MEDIA Major international radio and television stations, such as pan-Arab satellite television stations, the BBC Arabic and World Service radio, the Paris-based Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East, US Radio Sawa and US- sponsored Radio Free Iraq are available in Iraq. BBC World Service is now 24 hours a day on FM in Baghdad and Basra. The FM frequencies for Arabic programming are 89.0 MHz in Baghdad and 90.0 MHz in Basra. BBC World Service in English can be heard on FM in Baghdad on 97.9 MHz, and in Basra on 88.0 MHz. Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East is on FM on 88.0 MHz in Baghdad for 24 hours a day. Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East can also be heard in Basra on 88.8 MHz and in Mosul on 88.0 MHz. Programming is mostly in Arabic, however with 30-minute news bulletins in French from Radio France International three times a day. Radio France Internationale started a relay of its French-language programme on 93.5 MHz in Baghdad on 16 February. Radio Sawa is on FM in Baghdad (100.4 MHz), Arbil (100.5 MHz), Mosul (106.6 MHz), Sulaymaniyah (88.0 MHz) and Basra (107.0), as well as on 1548 kHz MW from Kuwait. Panorama FM replaced MBC FM on 88.6 MHz in the latter half of 2004, both brands being owned by the Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Corporation. 98.8 FM is owned by the Channel 4 Radio Network, which is also based in the United Arab Emirates. Al-Hurra TV - Since 14 February 2004 satellite viewers in Iraq and the rest of the Arab world have been able to watch a new US government- funded Arabic-language satellite TV channel, Al-Hurra (meaning "the free"). The station broadcasts free-to-air via the direct-to-home Arabsat and Nilesat satellites. It is also distributed via other satellites. In April 2004 a second channel, Al-Hurra Iraq, was added specifically for Iraqi audiences. It is available by satellite and terrestrially in Baghdad and Basra. Syrian Arab Republic Radio is the Syrian state-owned radio. The Main Programme broadcasts on shortwave on 12085 and 13610 kHz. It has also been heard in Iraq on the MW frequencies of 819, 828 and 918 kHz. Radio Kuwait is the state-owned Kuwaiti radio. It can be received in Iraq on the MW frequency of 540 kHz 24 hours. MAIN PRINT MEDIA The following is a list of the main newspapers published in Iraq. Although more than 250 newspapers and magazines appeared in Iraq since the fall of the former regime in April 2003, reportedly only about 100 are still publishing, many of them on an irregular basis. Al-Adalah - daily published by the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq Al-Ahali - independent weekly; website - http://www.ahali-iraq.com Al-Basa'ir - weekly published by the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq; website - www.basaernews.com Al-Bayan - published by the Islamic Da'wah Party, chaired by prime minister Ibrahim al-Jafari; website - www.idp-baghdad.org/bayan/ Al-Bayyinah - weekly published by the Hezbollah movement in Iraq Al-Da'wah - daily published by the Islamic Da'wah Party Al-Dustur - Independent daily published by former journalist Basim al- Shaykh Al-Furat - political daily; website - www.alfourat.com Al-Iraq al-Yawm - weekly newspaper published by Isra Shakir Ishraqat Al-Sadr - Islamic weekly associated with Muqtada al-Sadr Al-Ittihad - daily published by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Al-Ittijah al-Akhar - weekly of the United Nation Party, led by Mish'an al-Juburi; website - http://www.alitijahalakhar.com/ Al-Mada - independent daily published by Al-Mada Institution for Media, Culture and Arts; website - www.almadapaper.com Al-Manar al-Yawm - independent daily Al-Manarah - independent political daily published by Sawt al-Janub press, print and publishing institution in Basra; website - www.almannarah.com Al-Mashriq - daily published by Al-Mashriq Institution for Media and Cultural Investments Al-Mu'tamar - daily published by the Iraqi National Congress Al-Sa'ah - biweekly of the Unified National Movement, led by prominent Sunni cleric Prof Ahmad al-Kubaysi Al-Sabah - daily published by the Iraqi Media Network; website - http://www.alsabaah.com/ Al-Sabah al-Jadid - independent political daily; website - http://newsabah.com/ Al-Shira - independent daily Tariq al-Sha'b - political and cultural weekly of the Iraqi Communist Party; website - http://www.tareekalshaab.com Al-Taakhi - daily published by the Kurdistan Democratic Party Al-Ufuq - political daily published by Al-Ufuq Cultural Foundation; website - http://www.alufuqnews.com/ Al-Zaman - Baghdad edition of London-based independent daily; website - www.azzaman.com Al-Zawra - weekly published by the Iraqi Journalists Association Ansar al-Mahdi - Islamic political weekly affiliated with Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Baghdad - daily published by the Iraqi National Accord Bahra - general political weekly of the Assyrian Democratic Movement; website - http://www.zowaa.org/BahraADM.htm Dar al-Salam - weekly of the Iraqi Islamic Party; website - http://www.dar-ussalam.net/ Sawt al-Ahali - political daily (published weekly for the time being) of the National Democratic Party Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 19 May 05 BBC Mon MD1 Media FMU amdc/pf/cmc/dak (BBCM June 16 via DXLD)