72 - 461*5
SHOBAILI, Abdulrahraan Saleh, 1943- AN HISTORICAL AND ANALYTICAL STUDY OF BROADCASTING AND PRESS IN SAUDI ARABIA.
The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1971 | Mass Communications i
! University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan
THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED AN HISTORICAL AND ANALYTICAL STUDY OP BROADCASTING AND PRESS IN SAUDI ARABIA
DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University
By Abdulrahman S. Shobaili^ B. A,, B.S., A.M. *****
The Ohio State University 1971 .
Approved by
Adviser Department of Speech- Communication Behavior PLEASE NOTE:
Some Pages have in d is tin c t print. Filmed as received.
UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In the course of this study's conception* growth and completion many people have provided all kinds of aids: First, I am very happy to extend my grateful recogni tion to the Ministry of Information and the former Minister Mr. Jamil Hojailan whose encouragement and support made Qiy graduate work and this study possible. I owe a heavy debt to the Minister of Information, Mr. Ibrahem A1 Angary, who approved the completion of this graduate work. Special thanks should also be expressed to my brother, Abdulrahman A. Abalkhail, who provided, during my four- year stay In this country, his personal affectionate help and inspiration. I have been privileged to attend The Ohio State University, owing thanks to all friends, colleagues, and faculty with much memory and respectj My advisor, Professor Walter B. Emery, whose helpful guidance and counsel have been a constant source of in spiration and success. My gratitude is also due to Professors Ali Z. Elgabri, Joseph M. Foley and G.- Robert Holsinger, members of my doctoral committees providing numerous advice and valuable suggestions. Mohammed Darrab, Mansour Abalkhail and Abdulla Shobaili have also contributed much personal assistance. The loyal typist Mrs. James Bradley deserves the credit for her inexhaustible patience to the typing. Finally, there are those at home In Saudi Arabia, my beloved parents, Saleh and Fatmah with honor, esteem and respect. And my love is always to those who sacrificed at home in Columbus, Zakiah, my wife; Talal, our son and Rasha, our daughter who was born while this was being done.
A. Shobaili O.S.U. August 1971 ii VITA
1 9 4 3 ...... Born - Onaizah, Saudi Arabia
1962-1963 . . . B.A., Arabic Language College, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
1964-1965 . . . B.S., University of Riyadh, S.A.
1963-1965 . • * Announcer, Assistant Program Manager of Radio, Riyadh, S.A.
19 65 -19 67 • • • Program Manager of Television, Riyadh, S.A.
1969 M.A., The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
FIELDS OF STUDY
Major Field: Broadcast Communication Studies in Legal Aspects and International Broadcasting. Professor Walter B. Emery Studies in Productional, Political and Historical Aspects of Broadcasting. Professor Joseph Foley Studies in Journalism. Professor G. Robert Holsinger Studies in Film Production. Professor Ali Z. Elgabri
iii TABLE OP CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...... ii VITA ...... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS...... Vi
PART ONE. INTRODUCTION Chapter I. METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION ...... 1 II. HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OP SAUDI A R A B I A ...... 12 III. MINISTRY OP INFORMATION: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION ...... 27
PART TWO. THE PRESS INTRODUCTION ^ ...... 39 IV. PRESS DURING THE PRE-SAUDI ERA (1908- 1924) ,...... 4l V. SAUDI PRESS: INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP' (1924-1963) ...... 55 VI. SAUDI PRESS: GROUP OWNERSHIP (1963- PRESENT) ...... 71
PART THREE; RADIO BROADCASTING INTRODUCTION ; ...... 110
VII. EARLY HISTORY OP RADIO (I949-I9 6O) . . 113 VIII. PRESENT RADIO BROADCASTING (1960- PRESENT) ...... 136
iv PART FOUR. TELEVISION BROADCASTING Chapter Page INTRODUCTION ...... 170 IX. EARLY PLANNING AND OPERATION...... 172 X. TELEVISION: EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY . . . l86
XI. ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF TELEVISION . ■ 2l4 XII. TELEVISION PROGRAMMING ...... 227
PART FIVE. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS OPERATION IN SAUDI ARABIA INTRODUCTION...... 26l XIII. AMERICAN FORCES* RADIO AND TELEVISION 262 XIV. ' ARAMCO PRESSj RADIO AND TELEVISION . . 266
PART SIX. CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY XV. CONCLUSIONS: A SEARCH FOR IMPROVEMENTS 282 XVI. SUMMARY . ^ . '...... 309
APPENDIX
A. THE PRESS LAW OF 1 9 6 3 ...... 319 B. ESTABLISHING ROYAL DECREE OF RADIO BROADCASTING ...... 328
C. ESTABLISHMENT OF TV: OFFICIAL AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. , ...... 334 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 344
v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page
Present Map of Saudi A r a b i a ...... 11 Administrative Structure of a Typical Newspaper . 101 A Typical Administrative Structure of a Radio Station . i ...... 149
Cities and Locations of the Present TV Operation 198 The Proposed Route for the Future TV Network . . 203 A Typical Organizational Structure of Television 216
A Typical Television Program Schedule...... 231
vi PART ONE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I
METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION The earliest history of mass media in Saudi Arabia can be traced back to the year 1908 when that country had its first newspaper. It was about twenty-five years before the country was to be united and called by its present name, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (1932). It is the purpose of this study to tell, for the first time, the history of mass media in that country$ the development of the press - including a brief review of press history during the twenty-five years preceding the formation of Saudi Arabia as an independent state, it will trace the history of radio broadcasting since its inception in 19^9 and, finally, it will describe the growth of television during the last six years (since 1 9 6 5). The Intention is to describe the media's organiza tional, technical, programatic, and administrative develop ment and to provide a deeper insight Into the historical and cultural context that affected the programming char acteristics, exploring the relationships between the problems of the media and the past and present life in that country, and show how this relationship gave the programs their
1 2 special and final traits. Attention will also be given to the future of the media* especially the technical aspects. This student has experienced the last few years of the media development in his country as a member of the radio and television management* and hopes that this study will contribute toward filling the gap of knowledge about the history of media in that country. Descriptive and analytical procedure will be employed in writing this dissertation. The story of mass media - press* radio and television - is presented in chronologi cal order with considerable emphasis on the decade of the
1960 's which witnessed the beginning of meaningful growth in the history of the media in Saudi Arabia. When this dissertation was researched fog a consider able attention was paid to select the approach of the study* whether to be merely a descriptive and historical approach concerned with the series of events which led to the present system in all the three media* or to be an analytical approach studying the interaction between causes and effects* between society in which a medium lives and develops and the medium itself reflecting and affecting that society. The first approach alone was found to be inadequate. It would have meant the bringing of quantitative information without putting it in a qualitative perspective. The second approach alone was also found insufficient because the historical events and the quantitative dimension of press, radio and television broadcasting have never been reported or studied before. As has been indicated earlier, this dissertation would be the first to study the Saudi media, and in order to analyze their history, this history should be known and available to the reader. For this reason, a compromise has been attempted. A considerable attention has been given to the -historical development of the media in the Saudi Arabian society with an analysis of the interaction between the social, political, and cultural conditions and the media. In other words, this study will try to trace the historical development of the media* in Saudi Arabia, with proper attention to the social, cultural, economical, and political events which shaped their direction throughout the years.. Charts and maps are provided to illustrate the reporting relationship between various departments, and the consequent phases of development in radio and television. The study will be, in part, a critical evaluation of the administrative and progra.mmatic problems, an evalua tion based on this student's academic study in the United States, taking into consideration the cultural conditions of Saudi Arabia. In organizing the following sections of this study, 4 the first part will examine the cultural and historical background of Saudi Arabia, followed by a brief review of the Ministry of Information's development and function. The second part will deal with the Press before and during the present Saudi government, with special emphasis on the current system of organization and control. The third part, will focus on radio broadcasting. Current organization and programming will receive the major part of analysis and description. The fourth part of this dissertation will tell the story of television, from its'first transmission in 19^5 until the present time.
The fifth part will be devoted to the study of other communication media operated inside Saudi Arabia, but not by the government, such as the Aramco's radio, television and newspapers, and the U. S. Armed Forces Radio and Television, all operated at Dhahran, in the Eastern side of Saudi Arabia. The sixth and last part of this study will be a summary and search for change and improvement based on observations provided in the preceding chapters. It will include the student's critical views, philosophy, and rationale of the system and its functions, and the short comings of the media as well. 5
Scope and Limitation This study will primarily deal with the three media of mass communication in Saudi Arabia - press, radio, and television. It is important to point out that this will include a brief study of the press that existed in the country before the state of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. It will also include all radio and television services that had been operated or still are in operation on the territory of Saudi Arabia, such as the U. S. Armed
Forces radio and television operated from 1955 to 1963 on the American Airbase at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It will also encompass the Arabian American Oil Company’s radio and television that have been in operation since 1957 in Dhahran. Since there is no significant motion picture production, the study of this medium will not be included. The need for this kind of service will, however, be discussed wherever necessary.
Opinions and critiques expressed throughout the study will not, of course, represent those of the Ministry of Information in Saudi Arabia. They are merely a matter of this student's personal views and observations.
Sources of Material This study will be the first comprehensive effort to examine the communication media in Saudi Arabia. A review of periodicals and books has, unfortunately, revealed the 6 lack of material necessary to support this study, and only passing mention is given to this subject in several works, particularly those by Unesco. The Saudi press is probably the only medium that has started to receive some attention from the Saudi scholars of journalism. The lack of sufficient source of material has made it often necessary for this student to refer to his own experience as a member of the radio and television manage ment. A research trip was made by this student during the first three months of 1970 to the major cities of "Saudi Arabia, in which he had the chance to receive additional first-hand information, visiting the major newspapers, radio and television stations, interviewing a number of journalists, broadcasters, officials, copying and micro filming several valuable documents and very old newspapers. Having access to the official governmental files and the contribution of the many friends including those of the Ministry of Information, Aramco, Institute of Public Administration and others have all helped to expedite the pace of this research, and add to its depth and dimensions. Arrangements were also made with many officials and friends to keep this writer informed of progress in the field covered by the study. Many documents have had to be translated by this student from their original Arabic language into English 7 and were Incorporated in writing this study. As yet, there is no single source to which one can turn to find a complete account of the subject of this dissertation. In the field of printed medium, Dr. Mohammed Shamikh, a graduate of the University of London, 1968, wrote his dissertation about the literary Movement in Al-Hijaz, the western province of Saudi Arabia. A quantitative account of the press in that part of the country was included in his dissertation considering the press one of the profiles of the literary movement in Al-Hijaz along with poetry, prose, public address and rhetoric. Another similar dissertation was completed in 19&9 by Dr. Bakri A1 Shaykh Amin, a graduate of the American University of Beirout, Lebanon. Dr. Amin, like Dr. Shamikh, has studied the literary movement in Saudi Arabia and included a similar quantitative history of the press. The difference between the study of press in this dissertation and the parts on the press in the above mentioned works is in the approach to the subject - a more analytical and qualitative method employed in this writing. The section on the press in this study will be more concerned with how and why as well as what kind of effect does the social, economic and political conditions have with the press. 8
- On radio, no one, as yet, has tried to chronicle its development. The entire part on radio in this study will be documented for the first time. - On television, the only available comprehensive reports of its technical and constructional development have been the annual reports of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers to the Minister of Information and this student's M.A. thesis, "Saudi Arabian Television", presented in
July 1969 to the University of Kansas. The latest study trip by this student to Saudi Arabia made it necessary to revise and up-date information and added a greater depth to the subject.
Definition of Terms "The Ministry of Information" is the name of the official department headed by a minister who is a member of the Council of Ministers in Saudi Arabia. The term is not used in the United States but it is common in Europe and the Middle East. The main function of this Ministry is to maintain official control upon radio, television, imported and locally produced film, providing guidance to press and publications. It was established to centralize and expand other information programs. It produces, distrib utes and shows informational motion pictures, pamphlets, magazines and other printed material. It supervises and finances all the television activities and establishes the 9 policy of the communications media. To some extent this Ministry has some of the functions of the U. S. Information Agency. The word "Ministry" or "M.O.I." may be used sometimes to refer to the Ministry of Information. "U.S. Army* Corps of Engineers" or "The Corps of Engineers" is the term used to refer to the United States Army* Corps of Engineers* the Mediterranean Division* located in Italy. Two of its offices are in Saudi Arabia and New York. This division* as an advisory body* repre senting the United States Government* helped the Ministry of Information in the technical matters of contracting* planning* and constructing all existing TV stations. Its agreement with the Ministry of Information expired at the end of last year* 197 °* "A1 ___ " the Arabic definite article* equivalent to "the" in English* usually attached to the beginning of words or family names. It will be used frequently in this study especially in the second part* the Press. "Riyadh" is the capital of Saudi Arabia during the present Saudi government. The population of Riyadh Is more than 300^000* It is located In the central province* Najd. (For the exact location of these cities* please see the map.) "Jiddah" is the second largest city of the country* with a population of about 300*000. It is the largest seaport on the Red Sea. 10
"Mecca" one of two holy cities in Saudi Arabia. It is the center of the Islamic shrines. It hosts more than one million Moslems during the annual season of pilgrimage. Its population is more than 250,000. "Medina" the second holy city in the country. It has a population of about 150,000. (The last three cities are located in the western province, Hijaz.) "Dhahran" is the home of the Arabian American Oil Company, "Aramco", and is located on the Eastern side of Saudi Arabia. "Dammam" is the largest city and sea port of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Gulf. (Previously called Persian Gulf). Its population is about 150,000. "Al-Gasseem," an agricultural province located in the northern part of the country. Buraida and Onaiza are the largest cities in this province, with about 40,000 and
3 0 ,0 0 0 people respectively. Syria
Iraq Iran Jordan ?
•Buraida Onaiza*
•Medina
Jiddah U.A.R • Mecca • Taif
Sudan Yamen
Arabian Sea
Present Map of Saudi Arabia "Borders are Approximate" CHAPTER II
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OP SAUDI ARABIA "The media do not exist in a social vacuum." This is what Melvin Defleur, a leading sociologist and media critic, has said in writing atout the history of the 1 American mass media. His statement is certainly appli cable to any society. History has shown that society shapes the media. Economic, political and social factors in Saudi Arabia have inhibited and facilitated the develop ment of the various media. Saudi Arabia is one of the best examples in which one can examine how the development of a given medium depends not only upon the characteristic of the medium itself, but upon the salient norms and values of the socio-cultural system. It is also a good example to use in studying how certain traditional, religious, and politi cal problems can hinder or extend the growth of the mass media. This student believes that the study of any given mass medium should be done within the prevailing cultural
1 Melvin L. Defleur. Theories of Mass Communication. (David McKay Co., N.Y., 1971) p. 75.
12 13 and historical context of the country and that a review of that history should preceed the study of the media. For this reason and before turning to the main subject matter of this dissertation, the reader may welcome the chance to orient himself to certain features in the chapters of the historical, political and social scene of Saudi Arabia. In a very recent study of the countries in the Middle East, David E. Long of the U.S. State Department, presented a fair account, describing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a. land of striking contrasts. Cadillacs in the cities, and camels as a mode of trans portation for some of the nomads in the desert...Women's long black veils hide the latest Paris fashions...The dichotomy of old and new can be attributed, at least in part, to two factors: the special heritage of Islamic and Arabian traditions and values, and the discovery of oil...Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam and the keeper of its two most holy places - Mecca and Medina...Its Islamic heritage transcends mere religious beliefs to encompass the sum total of human endeavor - social, legal, cultural and political... The recent acquisition of sizable oil income, on the other hand, is rapidly transforming Saudi Arabia economically, educationally, and materially from an Arab desert to a modern state...2 The History of modern Saudi Arabia is essentially
2The following is based on David E. Long. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" in a forthcoming book about the Middle East, edited by Dr. Abid Al-Marayati. Toledo University, Toledo, Ohio. 14 the history of the success and setback of the House of Saud. It dates from the time of the family's founder, Mohammad Ibn Saud (1704-1792), the hereditary prince of a small central Arabian oasis town, Diriya.h (now a small town 10 miles from Riyadh). What set the House of Saud apart from other petty dynasties of Najd as central Arabia was called, was "the acquisition of a driving ideological force in the form of religious revival led by Shaykh Mohammad. Ibn Adb Al-Wahhab, a zealous revivalist preaching strict o adherence to the fundamentals of Islam. During the nineteenth century the Saud family passed through continuous wars with their neighbors. Results ranged from total defeat to sudden emergence and victory. But the creation of the present Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the accomplishment of one man, Abd Al-Aziz Ibn Saud known to the West as Ibn Saud. Ibn Saud, father of the present King Faisal, was truely a remarkable man, well over six feet tall... He was a master of tribal politics as well as warfare, the model of a desert chief....With breadth of vision, he saw beyond the narrow confines of the central Arabian desert and dealt on equal terms with Western diplomats, soldiers, and oil men, even when he did not fully comprehend the tremendous changes such dealing would bring to his country. 4 Ibn Saud's first accomplishment was wresting the present Saudi capital, Riyadh, from control of the Rashidis in 1 9 0 2.
3 Ibid.
11 Ibid. 15
This period of history is important for this study because it signaled the creation of present Saudi Arabia, and the beginning of the first newspaper in Mecca in 1908 (under the Turkish administration at that time). The Arabian Peninsula, or what most of it is now called Saudi Arabia, was divided at the beginning of this century into three major parts: Central and East, (Na.jd and Hasa) dominated by the new forces of Ibn Saud. The Capital city was Riyadh. North, ruled by "Rashidis" with Hail as their capital city. West, (called Hijaz) governed by. the Turkish (Ottoman) forces until 1915 and then by the Hashimite family (Ashrafs) until 1924 when the Saudi forces occupied the area. The Holy City of Mecca was the capital of the region. During the following twenty years after the capture of Riyadh in 1902, Ibn Saud consolidated his hold on Na.jd, took Hail in 1917 and finally occupied Hijaz in 1924. Starting with the city of Riyadh in 1902, Ibn Saud created a country in a quarter century from Prince of Najd in 1917* Ibn Saud became King of Hijaz and Najd in 1924. In 1932 the country was renamed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An effective territorial state had thus been super imposed upon the old tribal structure and had to a large extent replaced it, occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula. 16
What can one say about this country that was until the 1 9 3 0 's in a devastating civil war with total illiteracy? A country that had lived for about one thousand years - since the glorious years of the early Islam - in ignorance and isolation? A country that has been torn into number of tiny shiekhdoms and principalities? A country that was until Just about forty years ago without one primary school or one educated person except for those individuals who could read the Koran or those handful of people who could know the basics in writing just enough for their necessary trade correspondence? This is the bitter fact of Saudi Arabia during the early years of its formation. It was a fact that it was characterized by ignorance, disease and illiteracy. It was the drive of a few sincere far-sighted people and the discovery of oil that made it possible to transfer this backward, tribal society into an on-the-go state toward modern technology, education, health and prosperity. Past and present members of A1 Saud, the royal family, have "forged the present-day-Kingdom out of a widely desperate collection of tribes, regions and principalities... and have given their family name to the country they created, 3 Saudi Arabia," the country where "religious fervor has been a major spur to political expansion and a cohesive
5 Ibid. 17
force in the creation have been closely linked throughout 6 the history of Saudi Arabia's development." As Saudi Arabia entered the twentieth century world, the greatest long-term challenge before it was to accommodate the rapidly changing political and social needs and aspirations of its people brought on by the oil income, which generated economic and social change. With the effects of extensive programs in education, communication, health and many other fields being felt in the daily pattern of society, the pace of growing political and social aspirations is increasing at an ever faster rate. David Howarth who devoted two years to research in Saudi Arabia, writing his book The Desert King: Ibn Saudi and his Arabia (1964), described the capital city of Riyadh and could just as easily have been describing the entire country when he said: "It is a meeting place of western material technique and a strict eastern moral code; it is more than a meeting place, it is the scene of a head-on collision between the two. Saudi Arabia then, is new as a political unit, but the society of Arabia on which it is built is ancient. Only in the past twenty years has it been open to the influence of
6 Ibid. 7 David Howarth. The Desert King, Ibn Saud and His Arabia. (New York: McGraw Hill, ly64), p. 2. 18 the modern world of technology, Introduced with the ex ploitation of the country’s huge oil resources. Many changes a.re occurring, "but the most influential and rapid ones were economic and technological. Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula - excluding the Southern and part of the Eastern coastal fringe. Because of the isolation of the Peninsula from the outside world, the social structure and mode of living changed little over the centuries until the discovery of oil. With economic development since 19^5 (investment of oil), most of the population was introduced to western technology and material culture. Society remained heavily imbued with tradition. Moderation of the strict adherence to tradition is largely noticed among the urbanized educated young generation. The country is, however, continuing to press the modernization programs, improving education, developing communication facilities, broadening industrial ization and planning dramatic improvements in agriculture, health, welfare and other areas. During the last twenty years, the views of some conservative people in regard to many matters have given away. Innovations have been most notable in the communica tions sphere where airplanes, telephone, radio and television have been introduced. The government stands firmly in favor of further modernization as long as the religious 19 values are not fundamentally undermined. The religion of Islam is still the only formally recognized law and the courts are presided ovfer by religious Judges. It is un likely that any positive laws will eventually replace some of the functions of instruction specified by the Koran, the Holy Book of Islam. This picture of Saudi Arabia in the past years reveals many social, political and historical factors surrounding the growth of mass media in the country. Traditionally, the Saudi Arabian government has played an important role in the control and development of all industries and utilities clothed with the public interest. The present organization and control of media are in keeping with this historical and.traditional trend and behavior pattern in the Saudi government. This tradition also explains the private control of the Saudi press. The news papers were owned by individuals in the province of Hijaz when the late King Ibn Saud occupied that part of the country in 1924, the only part of the country that had newspapers at that time. There is no doubt, of course, that the government is an influencial force to "impose" the adaption of any medium. The introduction of telegraphy by the government, for example, was strongly opposed forty years ago by the Ikhwan forces and was one of the major reasons that triggered their rebellion against Ibn Saud, 20
and it was the government which overruled that opposition. Religiously, Saudi Arabia is the home of the Islamic religion, with the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The traditional adherence to these principles of Islam demands that a considerable portion of programs should serve religious purposes and values. Socially, the dissimilarity of educational levels of the people governs the quantity and quality of programs. The lack of an artistic heritage in Saudi Arabia, including movie production, playhouses or prior radio and television experience, or schools has imposed certain limitations on the scope, quality and type of programs. At the beginning of radio and television, for example, there were no writers, actors, directors, etc. A remarkable portion of the popula tion is still relatively conservative which causes the media management to introduce programs in a cautious way avoiding any conflict with social traditions. All those religious, social and political factors have influenced and shaped the overall programs. They have inhibited the creation of certain programs. At the same time, local programs have imerged to meet the needs that were not met by imported material. The positive results^first have been the complete absence of excessive sex and violence In all of the three mass media. Programs produced are those which comply with 21
these taboos and which contain much religious, cultural
and publlc-service material. Second, increase of local production was found to be one of the means to meet those strict social and religious proscriptives. About fifty to seventy-five percent of all programs in radio and television are produced locally by broadcast stations, a production ratio not achieved by many broadcasting systems. Third, as in any non-commercial broadcasting system, more programming experiments have been tried. Only recently has it been the trend toward stabilization in programming format and production. Several types of programs had been broached during the early years of broadcasting with more balanced content and emphasis on cultural and informational material. These are some of the positive results, but the mass media's reflection of the above mentioned combined socio cultural conditions have always brought about other negative results: First: Society, in general, has not yet allowed or accepted the complete participation of Saudi women in public media. It;is true that the country is now exper iencing a revolutionary change in female education; women have already participated in some radio and television programs; women's pages on the national newspapers and 22 magazines have appeared and foreign women appear in films and other programs; but still* radio* television and the press do not give a meaningful representation of women in variety* talk shows* women and children's programs. Second: The authoritarian concept has been the prevailing system of mass media in the country. Government controlled and financed radio and television. Private press is expected to express the voice of the government and to be in line with government policy. On many occasions* however* the media have performed certain essential services and played an important role in watching and criticizing government offices and officials.
Third: Programs of radio and television and the printed material in the press have maintained an unsatisfactory level of artistic quality* reflecting the standard of education in the country. It is difficutl* of course* to anticipate a high quality of programs in a country that established its first school less than four decades ago, and has a relatively high percentage of illiteracy. The particular problem is a lack of highly qualified artists and critical audiences. This means that a program with high quality and lofty artistic standards will be appreciated by a small percentage of the population who enjoy a corres ponding level of education and taste. This is not to paint a grim picture of the media as a whole* or a pessimistic 23 view of its future. There is no doubt that the huge number of students flooding the national universities and schools will provide the country with great opportunity in the next few years. Another example where the media have reflected the prevailing cultural characteristics of society could be found, in retrospect, in the Saudi press during the 1930's,
40's and 5 0 's when ancient literary material was the dominant fare. Every newspaper was written in a highly literary style and was discussed as much for stylistic merit as for political content. Quotation from the Koran (the Holy Book), classical poetry and proverbs were frequently used in arguments or to begin or end an editorial. This prevailing situation in the press, until ten years ago, reflected the dominant thoughts and interests among the educated people who found that only in mastering the Arabic literature or religion - could a man ideally be educated. How as the country moves further toward collective education, with a good number of newly graduate students in journalism, the I9 6 0 's have witnessed a new technique of editing and reporting, reflecting the educational change in society. The next related point that should be included in this discussion is how radio and television have been used by the government to meet social, political and cultural needs. 24
The modern educational system had been employed less than forty years ago. The country was in need of another source of information in order to help diversify and in crease the level of education and to give it greater depth and impact. Mass media would provide that additional educational experience especially for girls, whose formal education has only recently been initiated.
Workers, farmers and the average person could also be "awakened" through the use of radio and television— a kind of continuing social education. Wives could be given intensive instruction in such areas, as home economics and child care to keep up with the overall, fast-pace compaigns to fight illiteracy. In the political atmosphere there had been a contra diction of opinions and Ideologies and the mass media of -other countries were being directed to influence the people,
in the area. Society needed a supporting medium to protect it from the devastating and misleading outside propaganda. These factors convinced the government to venture into the use and expansion of radio and tele vision service for the prospective welfare of its people and to give the benefits of the latest blessings of science to all humanity.
The significance of radio and television as social forces in Saudi Arabia can be more fully understood by an 25 examination of the areas in which their effect can be observed: television and radio would serve as a major source of information and enlightenment for the population of Saudi Arabia. The coverage of local and international events and political news would offer the public an opportunity to be present at the unfolding of history. Programs on domes tic matters and culture would play a vital role in the national mind. Instructional programs would help to upgrade the educational level among the listeners. The way in which people are entertained is a matter of cultural significance. The viewing of television programs would be a favorite leisure-time activity and might be more effective than reading., conversation, or movie attendance. Radio and television would enter most homes, providing programs with both sound and sight in a more effective and attractice manner than other media. Television and radio could reach a portion of the illiterate population. Mass media in Saudi Arabia were expected to provide entertainment, instruction, and a widening vision of national and inter national problems and events. In short, as the social, political, and historical needs of society in Saudi Arabia were a dominant factor in adopting and developing mass media, society was also a major factor in shaping the content, system and format of the media. There was also the interaction that brought 26 about certain societal effects from the media. This effect will be discussed in the respective parts on press,, radio and television. CHAPTER XIX * MINISTRY OP INFORMATION: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
The first official "nucleus11 agency that was later to become the Ministry of Information was established in a Royal Decree in 1953. It was called "The General Director- ate of Broadcasting, Press and Publication. "'L The Decree defined the function of the Directorate as to "organize, coordinate and supervise all means of publication in the Kingdom and to disseminate the factual information about the development and reform movement and to defend its publicity." It further specified that the then existing "Directorate of Broadcasting, and The Office of Press and 2 Publication be all incorporated under the new Directorate." Ever since it was established, the Directorate began to occupy its proper place among other government agencies
and to perform its duties inside and outside Saudi A r a b i a . ^ The initiation of this agency came about five years
^Royal Decree #2013/29/5/21. (Dated 26 Shawa.1 137*0 late in 1953- Provided by the Library of Institute for Public Administration. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2 Ibid. ^Directorate-General of Broadcasting, Press and Publication. Facts about Saudi Arabia. Jiddah3 Saudi Arabia, 1958. 27 28 after the first radio station was to broadcast in Saudi Arabia and after two decades of Saudi press publishing, (during the present Saudi government). The Directorate was divided into three sections namely, Broadcasting, Press and Publication, and it was the first agency in the history of Saudi Arabia to be assigned for the Press (publication and radio had been supervised before by their respective agencies which were later consolidated under this newly formed Directorate). The GDBPP continued to play an important role, as a centralized government agency in coordinating the propaganda campaigns, disseminating the news, establishing new offices in other principle cities in the Islamic world, issuing its own newsletter and magazines, developing photographic centers and library, and publishing the needed informational books and pamphlets. It was not until the beginning of the 1960's that the government fully realized the importance and positive uses of the media and began to appreciate the mediafs potential ities in managing information and forming national opinion, protected from outside propaganda and favorable to govern ment policy. The government further realized that only an informational message based on accurate, true material would be heard abroad. The government also felt the pressure from the people to modernize and strengthen the power of radio transmission to cover the. entire country. 29
Beginning from 1958, the year of the Iraqi Revolution which sparkled a new turbulent political atmosphere, followed by the 1962 revolution in Yamne, South of Saudi Arabia, the Middle Eastern area was engaged in terrifying propaganda activities, originated by most of the new liberal governments in the area. The GDBPP had never before conducted anything resembling a modern propaganda campaign. "By and large reliance was placed on censorship and on the popularity of government rather than political indoctrina tion. Official statements and broadcasts dealing with controversial matters had tended to be defensive, and the reaction to criticism had been more often an attempt to Zj. refute it than to launch counter propaganda." But at the beginning of the 1 9 6 0*s and amid the new outrageous political pressure, the old approach became outmoded. The govern ment showed some concern most notably in 1962, over the reception of the anti-Saudi programs broadcast by the new revolutionists in Egypt, Yamen and Iraq. There was a growing need not only to improve the government's image and “increase it Influence but also to refute propaganda campaigns and to divert the public's attention from listen ing to such antagonistic activities. Needed was a powerful
^"George Lipsky. Saudi Arabia: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. (HRAF Press, New Haven, Conn. 1959K p. 30 diffusion and control of information* and an agency that would promote and sharpen the image of Saudi Arabia. Based on all those needs* a Royal Decree was issued in 1962 announcing the transfer of the GDBPP into a full- fledged Ministry of Information* in an attempt to put communication planning on a more rationale and scientific basis. The new Ministry was charged with the responsi bility of a process of media expansion and improvement in the I9 6 0 's. The first Minister of Information was Mr, Jamil Hojailan, cosmopolitan in his education* a law graduate from Cairo* he spoke French and English besides Arabic. Most of his career was in the Diplomatic Corps as an ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Ministry was* under his administration* to render the communication media in Saudi Arabia as one of the best existing systems in the Middle East* establishing a new television network comprising seven TV stations* increasing the power of radio transmission by about twenty times its power in the 1 9 5 0’s, and changing the system of press control from privately owned newspapers into public establishments. The first year of his tenure as a Minister of Infor mation had triggered the beginning of the first participa tion of women in radio programs* thanks to his personal 31 enthusiam, modern and open-minded views. The voice of his sister* Sa.lwa Hojailan and that of Mrs. Asma Dhla'a and Patin Ameen Shaker were to start the first new movement in 1 9 6 2. This movement was an important factor in attract ing more listeners from both sexes to the radio programs. The full analysis of those developments will be seen through the respective chapters of this study. In a recent Cabinet change (November, 1970) Mr. Hojailan was chosen to occupy the vacant post of the Minister of Health, succeeded by Mr. Ibraheen Al-Angary, the present Minister of Information, with a hope that the
1 9 7 0 's will witness brighter years in the mass media 5 development in the country. Since this change has happened very recently, it was difficult to examine its implication or the effect of the new appointment. Nevertheless, it is possible to predict that the Ministry which reached within the sixties a peak in media installations, and that this decade will concentrate on programming and administrative matters. The creation of the Ministry in 19^2, coupled with many other political factors, such as the inauguration of the present King Faisal, has caused this student to devote a substantial portion of this research to the study of
^Royal Ordinance # A 13^ (2 Ramadan 1390 A.H.) Published in the Institute of Public Administration's Library Bulletin (April, 1971) P* 113* 32 mass media development in the past decade (1962-1 9 7 1 )* The term "information" reflects the functional con cept of mass media as opposed to other concepts or names such as "propaganda." It is interesting to mention that the Arab States League in which Saudi Arabia is an active member has Just recently proposed that all other Arab countries employ this name* Ministry of Information,, a similar concept desired in the function of all mass media. In an interview with Mr. Fahed Sudairi, Deputy- Minister for Informational Affairs, he outlined the general objectives of the Ministry in the field of Infor mation. "Externally", he said, "the Ministry's objectives are to assure the transmission of factual information to the world" and to "combat outside propaganda against Saudi Arabia and to help and promote the Saudi Arabian foreign policy and the position it takes," and finally to "secure the different means to do that." He also stated that the objectives of the Ministry Inside Saudi Arabia were to "assure the transmission of factual information to the public...to protect the public from malinformation... To maintain the existing standards of morality and good taste...and to secure the means to carry these objectives out. " 6 These outlines could be considered the objectives
Interview was made during this student's research trip during the winter of 1 9 7 0 .. 33 of the Ministry more than as informational policy or philosophy. One should distinguish here between the function, the duty expected from this agency as an infor mational entity, and the policy which is a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives to guide and determine present and future decisions. The first one is available and clear as stated by Mr. Sudairi, the second is almost absent and urgently needed. Objectives mentioned above could be expected from any government informational department in the world, and only in policies where those departments differ. But the policies needed here should clarify the Ministry's stand on certain political issues, internal problems and development priorities. They should include a crystal clear written guidelines for the media's policy regarding news reporting, and other matters that should or should not be emphasized. Immediate management of radio and television should be constantly notified and kept abreast of any change or modification of those policies. Whenever an internal or external event takes place, station managers, program or news directors should be able to take a programming action suitable to that event and consistent with government policies provided to them. Prom the texts available to this student, only three important references to mass media were noted. They 34 represent the manifest opinion of the present King Faisal. The first and the second appeared in the ten-points pro gram issued by him on the 6th of November 19^2 (having formed a new government in October 31* 19^2, while he was a Grown Prince at that time). He stated that: ....Government believes that the time has now come...to provide for the basic rights of the citizen, including the rights to freely express his opinion within the limits of Islamic belief and public policy. 7 In the same ten-point program, Prince Faisal stated that ....His Majesty's Government was not content merely to ensure sustenance of its people and to provide job opportunities, but it has also earnestly endeavored to introduce important changes in the social structure and to make available innocent means of recreation for all citizens. 8 The term "innocent means of recreation" though seems ambiguous in Arabic and in English, refer implicitly to all those media that do not conflict with social, religious, and moral standards such as radio and television while excluding night clubs, indecent films, and other similar means of entertainment. In another occasion, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 1200 KW transmitter initiation in 1968, King Faisal
7oerald de Gaury, Faisal of Saudi Arabia (Trinity Press, London 1967 ,) p. 148. . 8Ibid. 35 asked that mass media should not be used to publicize, praise or flatter the King, government or individuals. We want the media to disseminate virtue, moral excellence and truth and the enlightment of citizens for the g best in both religion and materialist affairs. Those are few instances where the top ranking official has expressed some of the basic policies of public communi cation. Other issues need to be clarified. Effective policies involves forecasting. Most of the media officials work in a "here and now" atmosphere. The policies they are told involves tomorrow or next week's deadline. It is imperative that someone takes the long view and make stated, definite policies for the future and that the media management should be informed about those policies. The current organization of the Ministry includes different divisions for radio, television, press, publica tion and technical affairs. Every division is administered by a director-general. Two Deputy Ministers help him in informational, administrative and financial matters. The main headquarters is located in the capital city, Riyadh, with many branch offices in the principle cities. The main function of the Ministry is to control, supervise and finance all of the informational projects, radio and television broadcasting, guide the press
^Nida'a A1 Wattan (Vol. 25 No. 93 7 , Feb. 24, 1 9 6 8), p . 8. 36 establishments* and issue and produce informational books and motion pictures. Of the Ministry-sponsored publications* the weekly gazette Umm Al-Qura* the official newspaper of the govern ment and the weekly newsletter News From Saudi Arabia* issued in English* are the most important. Both carry many official bulletins as well as news. \ The Ministry had continued to publish its A1 Etha’ah Magazine (Broadcasting) which was established since
November 1955 by the old GDBPP* but in 1966 the magazine was discontinued with the hope of improving its contents* production and its representation of both radio and tele vision* but it was never resumed until this writing. It was an entertainment* literary and news magazine. It used to publish the monthly schedule of both the Arabic radio and other foreign language programs. The strong opposition of the conservative religious leaders has slowed the development of public showings of motion pictures. Until the inception of television* the government banned any display of motion pictures. Since then* it has eased the restriction and permitted the importation of foreign commercial films for private showings. In the last few years* very few semi-public cinemas were reported to be operating in Jiddah without official sanction 37
10 but also, apparently, without government hindrance. v Despite the government edicts, it has proved im possible to keep people - especially the youth - away from entertainment films. Increasing number of wealthy people own or rent projectors and show feature theatrical pictures from America, Europe, Egypt and Lebanon. Tre mendously popular, these films are passed from house to house and are becoming among the elite, an important channel 11 of exposure to other cultures, ideas and thoughts. Film production of any kind is non-existent except for those filmic photography needed for television pro duction. The Ministry of Information has to contract with companies such as the British Green Park Production Ltd. and the Lebanese Studio Ba'alback to produce several in formational and documentary films ranging from twenty to sixty minutes. The Way to Arafat, a film showing the pilgrimage ritual; This is Our Country, showing profiles of Saudi Arabia; The Healing Sawrd, about health; A Message from Riyadh^for communication; The Wise Men,for education and The Green Desert^ showing the government agricultural servlces^are examples of those films provided yet by the Ministry and printed in several languages.
10 A Norman C. Walpole, et.al. Area Handbook for Saudi Arabia (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washingtbn“ D"C".“ 1966)7 P- 186.
1:LGeorge Lipsky, op. clt., p. 1 3 6 . 33
Other activities of the Ministry included the pub lications of many informational books and pamphlets* reporting the process of development in such areas as health* girls education* social* industrial and commercial progress; all are published in Arabic and other modern languages. The most recent and notica.ble decisions in public information is the creation of the Saudi News Agency which started operation on January 23* 1971* Like radio and television* the news agency is sponsored and supervised by the Ministry of Information to centralize and bring regional and national news to the different channels of information inside and outside Saudi Arabia. Due to the newness of this agency it was impossible to evaluate its effects. Budget allocations for the dissemination of infor mation has increased quickly. In 1957* about $1.4 million was spent on broadcasting services. This represented about one-half percent of the government budget of $310 million.
By fiscal year 1968-1969* the allocations for the Ministry of Information amounted to more than $22 million* or about 1.8 percent of the total government budget of $1.23 billion. In about one decade* therefore, Information expenditures went up about twenty fold while the budget percentage 12 allocated for information services went up about fourfold.
12 Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. "Saudi Arabia: Budget for the Year 1 3 8 8 -8 9 A.H." (Jiddah* Saudi Arabia* September 25* 1 9 6 8). PART TWO THE PRESS INTRODUCTION Before turning to the discussion of the press in Saudi Arabia* one has to start with a brief review of the history of the journalistic movement in the country before it came under the Saudi reign in 1924. The Saudi Press could be considered an extension of the history of the Press in Hijaz which started with the
first Hijazi newspaper in 1 9 0 8. Hijaz was before the Saudi regime, under the Turkish (Ottoman) rule until 1915 and then under the Hashimite (Ashrafs) regime until 1924 when it totally became part of what is now known as Saudi Arabia. After Hijaz became the western province of Saudi Arabia in 1924, many of the ten existing newspapers con tinued publication, carrying new names, privately owned and edited by their old owners. Private ownership became the tradition for the following newspapers and magazines that were later to be issued throughout Saudi Arabia. It was the type of ownership they inherited from the earlier system.
It was not until 19^3 that the government approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Information to convert the system from private Individual ownership to
39 40 group ownership (national establishments). This action was to play an important role in changing the profiles of the Press in Saudi Arabia. This part will be divided into the following chapters: Chapter IV: The Press during the Pre-Saudi era (1908-1924). This chapter briefly discusses the newspapers which appeared during the Turkish and Hashimite regimes, their style of editing, and subject matter. Chapter V: The Press during the Saudi regime - the private
ownership by Individuals (1924-1 9 6 3). Discussion in this chapter is centered on the period when all the newspapers and magazines were being owned and managed by their respective individual owners. This period ended by the Issuance of the Royal Decree cancelling the francises given to the individual owners of the newspapers and creating press establishments owned by group stockholders.
Chapter VI: The Saudi Press Establishments (1963-present). This chapter will receive most of the analysis and examination in the study. It represents the most important development in the history of the Saudi press. It will reflect the continuing debates and controversy about the validity and success of this kind of control and ownership. CHAPTER IV
THE PRESS DURING THE PRE-SAUDI ERA (1908-1924)
The year 1908 signaled a new era of thoughts and awareness in the recent history of Al-Hijaz. Despite the disagreement among historians about the year when the first newspaper had appeared in Al-Hijaz,1 all of them agree, however, that six local newspapers had begun in the years 1908-I909.2 There has been no available way for this student to detect the reason of this sudden emergence of these six newspapers at once. The first newspaper, Hijaz, was the official paper of the state. The first issue was published November 3, 3 1908 followed by five others:
^An article that appearned in Umm A1 Qura (Vol. 211) January 1, 1929 mentioned for example that the first news paper was published in 1 8 8 3. This leads this student to believe that this claim has some validity, because the date mentioned, 1883, coincided with the operation of the first government print shop established in 1 8 8 2. o Dr. M. Shamikh, "Press in A1 Hijaz toward the end of the Ottoman Regime" Al-Arab Magazine (Vol. 11 July-August 1970) p. 1 0 1 8. 3This student was able to microfilm this first issue from the Aramco Library at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
41 IU wn juf f 4 a t * r * > im Jjiv rr j//
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>4^4-^ p** 'A • ■• • Cb ^ V f4^»dydf, Ctpi.fkMjfl *»* t4*-* » '-»■* •Mb* yWj.JS-'i injtb>^Ay> byitbAdj A i'j jtfVjnVbwV*^1 ^ / * kb . I^ J k tJ b lj l | 1 fib* -0> *.^b4> **>*Aj<
Hija.z, first newspaper in the Country, 1908. 42
1 - Shams Al~Ha,quiqua (Sun of Fact) in Mecca in February 16, 1909- It was a weekly newspaper printed by the State Printing Office at Mecca. 2 - Al-Isla.h Al-Hijazl (The Hijazi Reform) first published in May 17, 1909, a weekly newspaper with a private printing press at Jiddah. 3 - Safa'a Al Hijaz (Pureness of A1 Hijaz) a paper issued in Mecca, or Jiddah, in August 24, 1909- ^ ” Al-Raqueeb (The Observer) the first newspaper to be published in the Holy City of Medina in the State of Al Hijaz. It was insignificant newspaper written by hand for the lack of printing facilities in Medina when it was 4 first issued in 1 9 0 9*- 5 - Al-Medina Al Monowarah (The Illuminated Medina) It was another insignificant paper due to the absence of printing equipment at Medina in 1 9 0 9. All those six newspapers had disappeared on different dates before 1916 when Sharif Hossain (The Hashimite King)
succeeded in driving the Turkish rulers out of Al Hijaz when other newspapers and magazines were issued declaring their loyalty to the new Hashimite government. What concerns this study most here is to find out why ~ Phillip de Tarrazi, History of the Arab Press, Beirout, Lebanon, published in English and Arabic^. First published 1914, Part 11, p. 93. 5 Ibid. 43 those newspapers had disappeared in this relatively short time and the interaction between them and society within which they had appeared. A study of the history texts and of the available back issues of those newspapers shows the following ob servations. Al-Hijaz, as it was indicated in the introduction, was being ruled until 1915 by a governor representing the central Turkish (Ottoman) government in Turkey. It was natural then that the newspapers Hijaz, Shams Al-Haquiqua and Al Medina Al Monawarah, were to be published in two languages: Arabic, the native language of the country and Turkish, the language of the central government in Turkey and their representatives in Mecca. Hijaz, the official newspaper, and Shams Al-Haquiqua were being published weekly in four pages devoting two pages for 6 each language. Those two newspapers and the other four devoted most of their news section to cover those of the central and local Turkish government. Political reports and editorials reflected usually her views about the international problems. The low level of education in the area was clearly reflected in those six newspapers. Hijaz, Shams Al Haquiqua and Al Medina Monawarrah were all managed by editors-in-chief
^Dr. M. Shamikh, op. cit., p. 1020, 1025. 44 / from Turkish origin, editing both the Arabic and Turkish sections. Al-Islah Al-Hijazi was owned by Mr. Ragib Tawakul from Syria and edited by Mr. Adib Harari from Lebanon. 7 Safa'a Al Hijaz was also owned by an Egyptian person. Those people, editors and owners being non-Hijazi citizens, were chosen for their anticipated loyalty to the Turkish rulers, their proficiency in both Arabic and Turkish languages and they were assumed to have been more educated than those Q natives of Hijaz. Despite those qualifications, newspapers were usually printed in a weak language and a poor style 9 with a vivid violation of the Arabic grammar. The surprising sudden appearance of those six papers
(1908 and 1 9 0 9) and their absence (before 1 9 1 6) were also a result of many economic, political and cultural con ditions which prevailed during the early decades of this century in the State of Al Hijaz. Economically, the primative printing facilities, shortage of qualified staff and the inadequacy of funds which resulted from the low number of people who could read and buy them, and the low revenue of advertising had caused them to discontinue publication. The subsidies they received from the local government were apparently too
7Ibid., p. 1024f. Q Ibid., footnote, p. IO3 2 .
9 Ibid. 45 small to keep them going. Hijaz, for example, had to disappear for a few months and resume publication for those economical reasons. Another example was Al-Islah Al Hijazi, which was able to continue for a few months supported by 10 funds from Sharif Hossain, the local governor. Safa1 a Al Hijaz provided a better example of the economic conditions • of the press at that time. It was a paper published for only two weeks and on gelatine instead of paper. It was a failure that Dr. Shamikh described as "The ambition that 11 exceeded what printing and editing facilities they had." Politically^the few available historical articles had described Hijaz as the official paper of the state and that Shams Al Haquiqua was the official partisan voice of the famous Turkish Party "Committee for Union and Progress." Those were sufficient evidences to support that a number of those newspapers were motivated and aided by political entities. They had to collapse when the flow of support stopped.
From the brief historical review provided in the introduction, the political situation of Hijaz during the first decades of this century was shaky, with three or four powers, Turkish, Hashimite, Saudis and sometimes Egyptians, trying to control that important Holy area.
1QIbid,
11Ibld., p. 1 0 3 3 . 46
The small and crudely printed newspapers swayed with the political tide, emerged and died reflecting the /T' ' r * jr short life of those governments. Socially, despite the fact that the State of Al-Hijaz was assumed to have a relative better opportunity of minimum education and active relations with its neighbors due to its important religious status, readership was not sufficient to consume the circulation of six newspapers. Hijaz also indicated in its third issue (Nov. 24, 1908) that it had not been able to find among the people of Mecca, the one who could be hidred to be an interpretor from Arabic to Turkish and vice versa. Another example of the inadequacy of the educational climate in which a newspaper can exist could be taken from the apology printed in the twenty-first issue of Shams Al Haquiqua in which it expressed its regret for its second absence due to the low number of readers and high costs of printing. It also indicated that the paper had not paid 1 p salaries of its editors. One should not leave this period without mentioning what influence those few papers had upon the Hijazi society, at that time. It is true that most of those publications were operated below the average economic, educational and linquistic standards. Most of those found
1 2 Ibid., p. IO3 8 . 47 scattered literature praised the role played by the press in awakening the journalistic and literary movement in the country. They were able to center their writing to fight certain social problems and to generate local debates and discussion. Their local publishing had opened the door for periodicals from other Arabian countries to enter the Hijazi lands. They, among themselves, had entered in keen political and educational arguments that were to have a deep effect upon the people during those years of turmoil and transi tion, and pave the way for new publications. The year 1915 marked the end of the Ottoman regime in Al Hijaz and the take-over by the native Arab rulers. The Hashimite family, Ashrafs, a title connoting their being descendent from the Prophet Mohammed's family. Out of the six newspapers the only remaining one that lived until the transition to the new rule was the official gazette Hijaz, which was later discontinued by the new Hijazi government.
In 1916 Al Quiblah was issued as the first gazette of the new Independent Kingdom of Al Hijaz. It was estab lished after the beginning of World War I by the King, Sharif Hossain Ibn-Ali. It was published semi-weekly in 1“3 Arabic at Mecca. .
■^The university Microfilm Periodical, (Ann Arbor, Michigan,' Sept." 1 9 6 8) p. T9TJi The back Issues of this newspaper are available on microfilms at the University Microfilm, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48
The name of this gazette "Al Q.ulblah" was a synonym for Mecca, being the Arabic word for the direction toward which all Muslins pray. The first issue appeared on August 15, 1916, edited by Muhibb Al-Din Khatib from Syria. (It ceased publication when King Ibn Saud took Mecca in 1924, the beginning of the Saudi rule of’ Al~Hijaz). A total of
852 issues were published during its eight years of appearance. Although the newspaper Al Quiblah had never disclosed its position as the official paper of the State, it strongly expressed support for Sharif Hossain, defended his policy, and according to Dr. M. Shamikh, King Sharif Hossain himself used to write those editorials treating 18 high political affairs. Al Quiblah was not only a tool of political propaganda promoting the views of Sharif Hossain but it also reflected his personal feelings and 16 his interaction with current events. Al-Quiblah was the first outstanding paper in that early history of the press in Al Hijaz. Its continuation for almost eight years (1916-1924) and its journalistic fashion could be considered one of the factors in the
1^Dr. M. Shamikh, The Press in Al-Hijaz during the Hashimite Era, Al-Arab Magazine (Vol. 1 Fifth year, Sept. 1970), p. 71. l6Ibid., p. 74. 49 development of Al Hijaz during that political period. It Is true that Al Quiblah was a semi official paper like any partisan publication presenting the subjective views of the governing person. Nevertheless* its editorials were written in a modern journalistic style* leaving the old rhetorical* literary ancient method of writing, reflecting the orientation of its Syrian editor* Khatlb. Dr. M. Shamikh provides further account of this newspaper: ....It was a newspaper of sound judgement* with tradition and ethical values.... it was full of more vital and interesting material of official advertising and governmental report....Al Quiblah was not merely a local paper....writers from other Arabian countries had contributed in providing articles... It was read in Egypt* Syria and other Arabian and Islamic countries...Al-Quiblah had an excellent editing method* with a tendency" toward lengthy writing.... It appeared in simple four pages...The poor printing facilities had caused it to lack modern journalistic styles such as pictures* reportages and interviews.... It had never suffered from any financial trouble due to the attention it received from King Sharif Hossain...Its advertising revenues had been far less than Its income from the circulation of 5000 copies. 17 During the same Hashimite period (1916-1924) the following publications had appeared In Al-Hijaz: 1 - Al-Hijaz issued by the Turkish ruler at Medina* the Holy City which remained under the Turkish regime
jbid.* p. 7 6 . The circulation figure underlined above provides for the first time an idea about the number of copies printed by the Press at that time. 50 until the end of World War I (1919)- It was published as a counterpart of Al-Quiblah of Mecca, It was the propaganda tool of the Turkish power that remained in Medina promoting their political cause. It started in October J} 1916 and ceased opera.tion sometime before January 1919 when Medina was returned by the Turkish army to the Hashimite Kingdom. It disappeared many times suffering from the lack of paper.
2 - In 1919> Omar Shakir* a Syrian literate and a fugitive from the French mandate in Syria transferred his newspaper from Syria to Mecca. It was called Al-Fala.h 18 (Success) but it died only one year after its transition.
3 - During the tenure of King All Ibn Hossain, (1924- 1925), the son of Sharif Hossain, he issued what might be considered the first newspaper in the history of Jiddah (then was the capital of the Hashimite Royal family, the late King Ibn Saud had already occupied the three other important cities of Al-Hijaz, Mecca, Medina and Taif, and was proceeding to invade the city of Jiddah.) The news paper was called Barreed Al-Hijaz (The Hijaz Post). It was a semi-weekly Arabic newspaper established toward the end of 1924. It was clear from the first editorial that the paper was to follow a political line as a propaganda instrument defending the Hashimite cause against the political and military advancement of King Ibn Saud.
l 8 AOBakri Al-Shaikh Amin, A lecture delivered in Arabic about the Saudi Press, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1 9 6 8. 51
’’Although containing, in the main, strongly polemic articles in defense of the Hashimite cause and in detraction of its opponents, it also published the official communiques, official town notices, regulations and royal declaration. The newspaper also gave some coverage to world news and printed a number of interesting articles dealing with the then important topic of the 'Caliphate' which had been adopted by King Hossain of Al Hijaz. The paper also carried a number of items quoted from contemporary Egyptian papers notably Al Muquattam. It continued publication about one year and few months until the Saudi forces occupied Jiddah toward the end of 1925- The editor, Mohammed Saleh Nasif, submitted his allegiance to King Ibn Saud and moved to Mecca to start publishing another newspaper called Sawt Al-Hijaz (Voice of Hijaz), where a number of prominent contemporary Saudi journalists and men of letters got their 19 early literary training." 4 - In March 21, 1920, the Jarwal School Agricultural Magazine was issued in Mecca. The existence of this magazine, although no more than a school publication, was regarded as very Important from a historical point of view. It was the first magazine to be published in the country and the ig University Microfilm, op. cit., p. 191. The two above mentioned newspaper, Bareed Al liijaz and Sawt Al Hijaz were also microfilmed by University Microfilm, AnnArbor, Michigan. s
52
first specialized publication that represented a trend- toward a new type of press, especially during those days of political surge. To compare the press in this Hashimite period with its predecessor, the Turkish period, one might draw the conclusion that the Hashimite press had relatively lived longer and had been more successful in achieving its journalistic goals and improving its writing style. It should be said that the press, during the Hashimite period had again reflected the political, cultural and. economic circumstances that prevailed during those years. What was said about the dominance of political orien tation during the Turkish regime could also be said about the succeeding Hashimite press. Those newspapers had existed during a period of sensitive political upheaval, and they were expected by the rulers to participate in disseminating their political message. The dominance of political contents in most of those papers had reduced, to a large extent, their involvement in other social or educational activities. The study of the press in this period had again showed that the contribution of other writers from the neighboring Arab countries, most of whom moved to Al Hijaz to manage those paper, Those immigrant people, however, had to a large extent, trained and developed a new genera tion of local journalists who were to work in the following newspapers. 53
The use of the Arabic language in all Hashimite news papers and the help of Arab Journalists who came from Syria* Lebanon and Egypt had contributed to the development of style and writing of the press in this period when it is compared with the Turkish press which was largely edited by Turkish writers. Except for Al Quiblah which received the financial support of Sharif Hossain^and Bareed Al Hijaz which was financed mostly by funds from his successor Ali Xbn- Hossain* the three other periodicals had suffered from the lack of funds* shortage of paper and other printing problems. Sufficient to say about the press in that period is that it had helped to fill the need created by the delay of the emergence of the Hijazi press and that it had paved the way for a new journalistic era that was to start with the new political emergence of Saudi Arabia. In summary: The Turkish and Hashimite press was generally edited and published by men who were not great journalistic figures by present Western standards. They used basically the same printing technology that had been used centuries earlier. They did not have a mass audience with reading skills. There were few urban centers that could serve as markets* and they lacked an adequate basis
upon which to finance a mass press. They lacked modern 54 mailing facilities (not even mail truck cars) with which a paper can reach distant readers within a reasonable time. However, a complex array of culture traits had accumulated in the society, including elementary printing technology and the principle of private ownership of newspapers. CHAPTER V
THE SAUDI PRESS: PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP (1924-1963) With the beginning of the present Saudi government in Al-Hijaz, the country began to feel security and pedfce, a necessary climate for any communication medium to bloom and flourish. The end of the Rashidi rule in the northern part of the country in 1 9 1 6, the fading away of the Turkish and Hashimite dominance in Al Hijaz in 1924, then the victorious declaration of Saudi Arabia as a united independent kingdom in 1932 and the discovery of oil during the 1 9 3 0's and 1940's, were major factors in bringing a peaceful political, social and economic situation which was to provide nourishment for a new development of the press. The first order of business for the new King Ibn Saud was to campaign against illiteracy. Oil money flowed Into the governments coffers in such amounts that it completely revolutionized the Kingdom. Much of the new found wealth was devoted to the welfare of the new Union and by the 1950's the government was heavily Involved in economic and social development programs. Schools for boys and then for girls were opened throughout the Kingdom. A large number
55 of students, graduates of the new high schools, were sent to further their education in other Arabian countries, Europe and the United States. Hundreds of teachers were hired from foreign and Arabian countries to boo3t the existing number of Saudi teachers. More private and public libraries were opened, people started to sense the security which began to prevail after years of fighting in all parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Among those waves of development were the communica tion media, the press and then radio broadcasting. Umm Al Qura was the first official gazette of the new Saudi Arabia. It was published by the Government Printing Press and issued every Friday in Mecca. The newspaper accepted advertising and it was sold for one Saudi Piaster (about one U.S. cent) per copy.’1' Umm Al Qura replaced the old Al Quiblah (mentioned in the preceeding chapter). Its name, Umm Al Qura, is translated literally into "The Mother of Villages" an appellation for Mecca 2 in the Holy Koran. The first issue appeared on December 12, 1924 as a weekly paper when the printing offices of its predecessor were taken over by the new government. At that time it was edited by Yousif Yasin, who later became an advisor of King Ibn Saud.
■^University Microfilm, op. cit. 2 Ibid. - - 57
The official daily news bulletin in Saudi Arabia was published by Umm Al Qura, and materials in this official publication included government treaties, royal decrees, Council of Ministers’ decision, government regulations, court notices, concession agreements and releases of the Directorate General of Broadcasting, Press and Publication. Umm Al Qura is still published as the official newspaper of Saudi Arabia. It is a valuable source for those scholars concerned with the development of government in Saudi Arabia. Before turning to the analysis of periodicals of that period, it might be appropriate here to give an historical review of those papers that.appeared during this period (1924-1963) in order to provide the landmarks and foundations for further analysis: Majallat Al Islah (Reform Magazine) started four years after the issuance of Umm Al Qura (1 August 1 9 2 8). It was of a religious and scientific orientation. Issued monthly and then bimonthly, it was discontinued in 1930, encountering the problem of Inadequate printing facilities at Mecca. Sawt Al Hijaz (Voice of Hijaz). This newspaper was referred to in the preceeding chapter as the extension of Bareed Al Hijaz which appeared during the Hashimite period.
It began semi-weekly in April 4, 1932 at Mecca. Sawt Al Hijaz was interrupted during World War II because of the paper crisis and was resumed after the war carrying another 58 name* Al Bilad Al Saudlah (the Saudi Country) which started semi-weekly* then three times a week and finally it "became daily in 1952. It was the first daily newspaper in the history of the Press in Saudi Arabia. In the Holy City of Medina Al Manhal Magazine (The Spring) was initiated in 1936* to remain until the present time* one of the outstanding "springs" of culture in Saudi Arabia. It has been owned and edited ever since by A. Al-Ansari who transferred his magazine to Jiddah where it is presently printed.
In 1937 in Medina again* the Hafidh brothers acquired the franchise to issue their newspaper which took its name from the name of the City Al Medina. It was weekly* then became semi-weekly and ceased publication during World War II because of short paper supply. It was resumed afterwards to continue until the time of this writing. It dealt mostly with presenting research studies* religious articles and news especially those from the Islamic and Arab World. In 1938a Al Nidfaa Al Islami (The Islamic Call) was franchised to be a monthly magazine and continued until it stopped at the beginning of World War II. After the War* Saudi Arabia experienced an active period in the world of the printed medium.
In 19^5 and 1953* the Arabian American Oil Company 59
(Aramco) was permitted to issue its English newspaper ■ Sun and Flare and Arabic newspaper and magazine Oil Caravan, both fully discussed in the fifth part of this study, "Other Communication Systems Operating in Saudi Arabia." The Department of Pilgrimage issued in 19^7 the Al-HaJJ Magazine (Pilgraimage). This Arabic monthly magazine started publication in May 19^7 under the auspices of the then General Administration of Pilgrimage Affairs in Mecca. It was mainly devoted to the publication of general Islamic religious and historical topics. It used to carry pilgrimage information in Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Indonesian, Persian and English. In later years, it carried more articles dealing with a variety of religious material, history and book reviews along with biographies of prominant Muslim personalities both ancient and modern, and pil grimage statistics. After the General Administration of Pilgrimage Affairs was replaced by the newly organized Ministry of Pilgrimage and Awgafs in Saudi Arabia in 1962, 3 the new Ministry also continued its publishing. In 19^8 the Chamber of Commerce at Jiddah established a new monthly Journal carrying the name of the Chamber, but it was terminated after a period of time. All these preceding periodicals except Aramco's
3 The University Microfilm, op. cit., p. 1 9 1 . This magazine Al-HaJJ, is also available oh microfilm from the University Microfilm, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 60 publication had been published in the cities of Mecca* Medina or Jiddah, the major cities in the western province of Hijaz. Until the year of 1952 there had been no other journalistic activities in other cities, not even in the Capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. The first periodical to appear in Riyadh or in the central province of the country, was Al Yamamah in 1953 (Yamamah was the ancient name of that area where Riyadh is located). It was a monthly and then weekly magazine. It emphasized literary and historical researches and con tinued to be published carrying the same name after many interruptions resulting from political suppressions. Mr. H. Al Jasir was awarded the original franchise. He is considered one of the best literate researchers and early journalists in that part of Saudi Arabia. Also in 1953 and for the first time in Saudi Arabia, a color magazine carrying the name of the Capital, Riyadh was issued in Jiddah. In 1954, one newspaper and two magazines were printed. The newspaper was Akhbar Al Dhahran (Dhahran News) which appeared in Dhahran for a few years. One magazine was a Ministry of Agriculture publication. It was a quarterly, called Al-Zera*ah (The Agriculture). The second magazine appeared for a short period of time by the name of Al Fajr Al Jadeed (The New Dawn). 6l
Due to the large number of applications requesting the grants of franchise for more newspapers, the government adopted a policy of encouraging mergers by weak small news papers to consolidate with each other to form more capable and strong ones. As a result Al Bilad Al Saudiah was incor porated with Arafat newspaper (a name of a sacred mountain in Al-Hijaz). The two became Al Bilad daily newspaper now printed in Jiddah. Another example was the integration of Hera (a name of sacred mountain) with Al-Nadwah (The Symposium), forming a new paper carrying the latter name. In 1955* two magazines were established: the Saudi Arabian Broadcasting Service issued the monthly Al Etha'ah (the Broadcasting) at Jiddah. The second one was printed in the city of Al Khobar, in the Eastern part of the country. It was a monthly magazine called Al Isha'a (The Rays). In 1955 a new magazine called Al Kolliah (The College) was the publication of the College of Education in Mecca. In 1957* a newspaper and magazine were issued for a short period of time. The first was the Al Adwara magazine (The Lights) at Jiddah. The second was Hera which was later incorporated with the newly established Al Nadwah at Mecca. In 1959* Mr. Taher Zamakhshari was given the permission to publish his first children's magazine to be called Majallat Roudat Al Atfal (Kindergarten Magazine). It was an attractive weekly, color magazine. Unfortunately, its 62- life was short. That year Al Ra'ed (The Pioneer) a bi weekly and the weekly Guraish magazines were given the permits of appearance in Mecca. That year, also, a new newspaper called by the name of the northeastern province Al Qasseem was published.
In i9 6 0, Al Ma'arifa (The Knowledge) magazine, the voice of the Ministry of Education at Riyadh started publication. Al Jazerah (The Peninsula) monthly magazine was issued and still published until the present time as a weekly newspaper. Okadh (after the name of an historical literary convention used to be held during the sixth or seventh century) was issued weekly in the city of Taif, then was moved to Jiddah until the present time. The religious monthly Raiat Al Islam (the Islam Flag) began at Riyadh. The Ministry of Commerce started publishing Majailat Al Tijarah, (The Trade Magazine) replacing the Chamber of Commerce magazine (discussed earlier) and it was to be printed at Riyadh instead of Jiddah. Finally, in 19^2, two new magazines were published. The first was Al Isbo^ Al Tijari (The Commercial Week), the second was a religious paper sponsored by the General Secretariate For the League of Islamic World. 63
The previous review has shown that the Saudi press had experimented for forty years; more than thirty news papers and magazines were given the green light. All of them had to he interrupted during the war because of a shortage of paper. Pour were incorporated into two. It was hoped that this action would strengthen them and save them from collapse. During this period of four decades four publications had been issued in the Eastern part of the country, including the Aramco's paper, five were pub lished in the center and about twenty-three were printed in Al Hijaz, the Western province of Saudi Arabia. What conclusion, now could be drawn from this review? What kind of effect had this flood of periodicals had on journalism in that period? Was the country prepared to consume this number of publications? Was it necessary to have all of those newspapers and magazines? To break down this large number of journals, one will find that they did not follow one direction or adopt a similar course. There were those of a pure religious nature: Al Islah, Al Nida'a Al IIsami, Al HaJJ, Raiat Al Islam, Rabitat Al Aalam Alislami. There were also those of a specialized nature; technical or commercial: Chamber of Commerce, Majallat Al Tijarah, Al Esbo'a Al Tijari, Al Zira'ah, Al M'arifah, Al Etha'ah and Al Rawdah. 64
There were those concerned with arts and Arabic literature like Al Manhal^and finally there were those of a social, political and cultural line, Al E s h a ^ , Akhbar Al Dhahran, Al Jazerah, Al Gasseem, Al Yamamah, Sawt Al Hijaz, Arafat, Al Medina, Riyadh, Al Fajr Al-Jadeed, Hera, Nadwa , Al Ra’ed, Guraish, Okadh and Al Adhwafa. As elsewhere in the Middle East, it was common for a newspaper to function as the personal vehicle of its editor. Editors seemed to believe that their opinions, rather than the adequacy of their news coverage, would sell their papers. Editorials, generally placed on the front page, were usually signed by the editor and were composed in a different style from news stories. They were often highly literary and were discussed as much for stylistic merit as for political content. Quotations from the Holy Koran, classical poetry, and proverbs were frequently used in 4 argument or to begin or end an editorial. Again, it is possible to describe the Saudi Press in this period as the "literary journalism," because it was more concerned with the style, content and language. Most of those who contributed their writing were literates or poets with Arabic literature or religion as their aca demic background. They had never been in schools of fine — George A. Lipsky, Saudi Arabia: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. HRAF Press, New Haven, Conn. 1£39j p. 134. arts, political science, communication -or social behavior- lal science. For this reason, the press had in this period enriched and benefitted the literature more than what it had done for other areas. It had played an im portant role in the literary development. Almost no issue would pass without any related articles. This is not to^ say that the press did not broach other areas but there is no doubt that there was a concentration on the literary articles. Toward the end of this period, the press started gradually to reduce the literary writing^ devoting only one or two pages for these articles. Journalists felt the need for broader range of material to include more news, sports and social events. Before this growing number of papers could develop, a series of sweeping social change was necessary in Saudi Arabia. The changing political system and the presence of peace have already been mentioned. With this was noted the growth in economy which led to changing patterns of social stratification and the rise of the middle class. To these can be added the necessary development and availability of printing and paper needs, which increased its tempo after World War II and the abolishing of customs duties in the 1950's. Finally, when mass public education became a reality with the establishment of the first nationwide public schools system during the 1 9 5 0's and 1 9 6 0's, the stage was set for a combination of these many elements into 66 a newspaper for the common man. Even the development of radio as a household utility in Saudi Arabia late in 19^+9 did not seem to have a notice able negative effect on the growing press industry. The factors that had led to this were not difficult to suggest. Local radio was not so effective nor common or powerful to affect local newspapers. The noticeable growth in the number of newspapers and magazines in this period and the trend toward non-political contents was a natural result of the political stability and peaceful atmosphere which the country enjoyed since 1924. Writers and editors departed from this kind of political writing which had colored the press during its early period to consider other social and literary fields* a trend that was to dominate almost all newspapers. Political material was limited to the few selected news items printed on the first or second page or some refer ence to a very important national event. Another reason for this trend - the emphasis on the literary writing - was the effect on Hijazi writers of reading Egyptian press which was dominated by a similar material during the second* third and fourth decades of this 5 century. Saudi Arabia, by virtue of its proximity to
5 Dr. M. Shamikh. "The Press in Hijaz"* The Arab Magazine* Vol. 5S Fifth Year, January Z} 1971*,p. 437. 67
Egypt, the center of studies in Arabic literature and thought was affected by Egyptian writers. Saudi Arabia received not only newspapers and magazines but also technicians and the first generation of editors and writers who managed and edited the Hijazi press during its infancy. "Egyptian newspapers and magazines started to (invade) Hijaz, and to overwhelm its libraries. Saudi young people started to (devour) the Egyptian culture, (digest) its products, love and imitate the Egyptian writers not only 6 in writing style but also in thoughts and ideas."' They were those Saudi young people^at that time^who later took the responsibility for the first time to edit the Saudi press, succeeding in broadening its dimensions in other social, religious, and literary fields. Literary or religious orientation of most of the newspapers during this period was also a reflection of the predominant type of education sought by scholars. Religious fervor had been a major spur to political expansion and a cohesive force in the creation of Saudi Arabia. It was natural then that religious studies and Arabic literature were the first fields to be taught by the newly established Saudi school. Only recently has Saudi Arabia been able to introduce other modern educational fields to its schools'
5 Ibid., p. 438. A quotation of Mohammed S. Abdal- magsoud's Article A1 Manhal, (Vol. 2, Feb. 1939)3 P- 7- 68 curricula. Studying the Koran,, and the related teachings was considered during the 1 9 2 0's, 1 9 3 0's and 1940's, the ideal type of education a person could have. The press was a true projection of this belief. Articles on modern art, technology, political thoughts, behavior, science were virtually nonexistent. A review of the index of most of the newspapers and magazines showed the following topics: religion, studies in Arabic language, Islamic and Arabic history, local, Arabic and Islamic news, debates around the classical Arabic language, poetry, and a few other articles dealing with certain social problems such as smoking, importance of education, marriage problems, etc. Today, eight years since the end of this period of the press, characterized by private ownership, it might be appropriate to make some judgements as to the validity of this system of ownership and control. The private enterprise established by an individual can be described as a two-edged weapon. The positive side is the competition which can result in improvement. The personal profit motive tends to keep the owners vigilant. Newspapers were viewed as an arena of business competition. On the other hand, the profit motives have often' exceeded normal limits and caused the owners to ignore such needed improvements as full-time editors, subscription to wire service, etc., the kind of improvement imposed by the new press regulations (issued in 1 9 6 3). 69
These few newspapers which proved successful were completely dependent upon the toilsome effort of their respective owners who, alone or helped by one secretary, might have to perform all administrative and editorial work. In retrospect, one could generalize that the press, despite government subsidy, was in financial trouble. This 7 was expressed many times in editorials. Another negative result of this type of control was the monopoly exercised by owners who worked as gatekeepers to allow only whatever they wanted to be published. Ex pression of thought and opinions was the privilege of those few franchised editors or owners, who expressed their own 8 ideas and directed the reader's thoughts. Furthermore, many newspapers published defamatory articles or superficial material and many readers began to expect more responsible journalism and the Ministry of Information began to insist on reform. It should not be forgotten, however, that the few articles which appeared in the press during this period did contribute effectively in treating some social problems and echoed the need for public action. This effectiveness
See for Example Abdulkareen Johaiman, "Our Press Pros and Cons" A1 Gasseem (Vol. 50 3 -6-1 3 8 0) i960 A.D. The writer expressed the financial trouble and encouraged businessmen to invest in the press business. o Ministry of Information, "The Ministry's Statemen," Saudi Press (Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, 1964), p. 21. TO could be measured by the positive response of concerned governmental departments. Newspapers had carried regularly editorials and articles suggesting reform* requesting the meeting of certain demands* including the establishment of hospitals* schools* post offices or other government service needed and the exposure of corruption in government or public establishments. The final conclusion to be drawn about the press in this period of four decades (1924-1963) is that it was a period of trial and error. The government was evaluating post developments in order to form the final shape of organization of the press. If the early Turkish and Hashimite period had marked the beginning and driving impulse of the press* this period of the Saudi press could be described as the transition that brought the press into a more mature stage. The subject of the Sixth Chapter has to do with the following period. CHAPTER VI
THE SAUDI PRESS: GROUP OWNERSHIP (1963-PRESENT) Forty years have passed since the first Saudi news paper was issued (1924-1963). The four decades gave the government a chance to observe the developments of the press, studying and evaluating the system and to examine the other regulations applied by other countries, es pecially those Arab States with similar political, social and economic conditions. The political, social and cultural situation of the country in the 1960's had been ready to accept the change. Politically, the Arab countries in the area were experiencing a violent change, especially after the Revolu tion of Iraq in 1958 and in Yemen in 1 9 6 2. New liberal governments in the Middle East were engaged in propaganda campaigns against the other systems, particularly the monarchic regimes. In the midst of this upheaval and agitation, Saudi Arabia had to abandon its traditional approach of not resorting to persuasion and political campaigns. The approach was set by the founder of the country, King Ibn Saud, capitalizing on his people's personal loyalty.
71 72
As a sort of superior tribal leader, he saw little reason to strive for popular support for his policies. On the other hand, Ibn Saud's example of leadership and his daily activities served as powerful propaganda. "Ibn Saud was constantly on display, he settled questions of justice and conducted most other business in public and he was doubt less conscious of the effect on the populace of evidences of his wisdom, piety and strength demonstrated at these appearances."■r1 « f But during the rule of his son King Saud (from 1953 to 1964) the country faced cold war. He himself, did not "move in such an aura of popular reverence and in his dealings with people he had been handicapped by the lack 2 of personal legend such as that cultivated by his father." That was why he resorted to his brother, the present King Faisal, to handle both the internal and external affairs. He appointed him as Prime Minister during the state of turmoil early in the I960's. (Later, King Saud was removed
from power in 1964 and Faisal was sworn in as the King of
Saudi Arabia.) With the growing awareness of propaganda technique practiced elsewhere, it was necessary for the government
1 G. Lipsky. Saudi Arabia: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture, HRAF Press, New Haven, Conn., 1959j p. 132. 2Ibid. 73 to counter Its critics, a step that contributed largely to the expansion in the government's Information activities which began in the 1 9 6 0 's.
In 1 9 6 2, the government agency which was in charge of radio, press and publication was transformed to a full- fledged Ministry to be called ^The Ministry of Information". Jamil Hojailan was the first Minister and was also the advocate of change in the organization of the press. His vast knowledge of other systems of the press and his interest in the development of the country made him an effective voice as the Minister of Information to be an "advocate of change." The Council of Ministers appointed a high ranking committee to study the situation of the press and submit its recommendation to the Council. The Committee, composed of the Minister of Information, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources^ held several meetings, issuing its report ^ * on Sunday, August 10, 1 9 6 3. The Committee studied the case of the Saudi Press and Its relation with the government, reaching the following conclusions:
^The last two members of the Committee were apparently chosen for their educational background, not because of any relation to the press.
^The Council of Minister's Decision #483 dated 23/6 /1 3 8 3 (Dec. 1963)5 a document of Institute for Public Administration under No. 1511 (5 Rajab 1 3 8 3). 74
Most of the newspapers Issued at that time were franchised to people unqualified for prudent, Jour nalistic work. Franchises were given to them in a time when the country was trying to encourage the press. The country was not in a position to apply or adhere to other ideal considerations or quali fications necessary in the person franchised. Despite support and encouragement given by the government wishing to raise the level of the press in the Kingdomy the press had remained a field of poor material and shortage in thoughts, and fumbling in publishing information without careful examina tion. It had provoked the discussion of ridiculous and thoughtless topics. 5 The report attributed the "deteriorating" situation of the press to the following two reasons: First, the wrong understanding of the franchised person about the limits of his right in managing and editing his paper. He thinks that the fran chise is an absolute right, that he is free to publish, from his opinion, whatever he wants as he would use a white sheet of paper to write down whatever he pleases. The franchise of any newspaper is a huge respon sibility and only the capable person with ideas, education and wisdom would be able to do its duties and work. Second, it is. the willingness of the owner to make out of the government advertisement and announce ments published by his paper, the largest possible profits without heed for the level of his paper or its material. Owning the paper has been, thanks to government subsidy, (which it pays through publishing its announcements in the paper) a means for quick, big wealth. Owners care first for government ads and the space where they occupy. The material with which to fill the rest of the paper is of a "secondary concern." As a result only the super ficial, poor material are published.
5Ibid.
i 75
Devoted full-time editors or interpreters are not hired escaping from their wages and other financial requirements...... As for the press in Saudi Arabia, it is only the government which supports the press through its publication of government advertisings which flood every daily and weekly paper. If the govern ment stops publishing its ads this way, and pub lishing them in its official paper, the press would have been unable to meet its financial obligations and it might have to disappear in months... The Committee expressed the need to take measures to improve the situation. While the Committee did not recommend the idea of "nationalizing" this public medium as a solution to the problem, it suggested either one of two alternatives: First, that the government publish its ads in the official paper Umm AI Qura only, and increase the frequency of publishing the paper and that the government would compensate other newspapers for this financial loss by providing a secret subsidy based on the paper's conduct and its cooperation with the government'.
Second, that the government break the present monopoly and change them into several companies or public establishments licensed by the government and subject to the approval and rejection of the government in order to assure the sincere conduct of the company. The companies also should repre sent all public groups5 etc. The government would have the right to limit the number of these companies. Editors-in-chief would be appointed by the company with the consent of the Ministry of Information. The advantages of the second alternative were; 1 - Elimination of monopoly by individuals and entrusting the Press to a selected group of people.
S - Interest will go to several shareholders instead of one. 76
3 - Eliminating the need to pay secret sub sidies to the press or the need of the individual owners to seek support from any foreign source in case of terminating this secret support. The Second solution was finally adopted by the
Council of Ministers (Decision #483> 22/6/1 3 8 3). Exempted from this change were the specialized periodicals, namely, the scientific, economic and literary monthly magazines. No reason was given to this exemption but it could be Inferred from the language of the report that the Committee was concerned with those papers connected with the day-, to-day development of the political and social life. Just before the Royal Decree was broadcast to dis franchise private ownership of the then existing newspapers and magazines, the Ministry of Information issued a public statement: Press has been one of the most effective means to direct opinion, thoughts and enlightenment of the public, if it is understood and appreciated by those who manage it... The government of his Majesty, realizing this fact, and desiring to increase all elements of success has followed all possible avenues to keep the national journalistic entity stronger. The government has demonstrated this with financial and moral support, to the degree that the govern ment had, with satisfaction, gone further to publish its official ads in the local newspapers, a step which had never been done by any other government before...
6Ibid.
7Ibid. 77
....The government also has agreed to air freight all newspapers from and to every part of the country by using the Saudi Arabian Airlines free. The govern ment has also exempted all imported paper and facilities used for the press, from customs duties, a privilege not enjoyed in other countries...... It was the position of the government in this country to direct the newspapers without practicing its right to interfere, except rarely, and when the public interest required that.... It was the result of this support that the press has remarkably improved and grown. Number of periodicals increased in the last ten years from four to nineteen....The government is happy for all what it has and will offer to our national press... Since the influence of press on public opinion has been greatly effective, and since the respon sibility of the government entitles her to follow whatever will correct and assure that the press is doing its highest responsibility, many govern ments decided to practice this responsibility in the public interest... The government has noticed that our national press has been playing an important role in direct ing the public opinion. It has been clear in light of the continuing experiments that the acquisition of franchise and supervising it by few individuals will not give the newspaper a chance to be managed by a selected group of capable citizens. Moreover, the newspaper has been always used as a means of expressing its editor's personal opinion in many important issues... For these reasons, the government, continuing its policy, aiming at raising the level of our press to the proper high level and in order to enable the press to perform its fruitful role in orienting the public opinion, has decided to entrust the franchise of all newspapers and magazines to a group of qualified citizens to exercise this important assignment taking the shape of national establishments or companies without any connection with the government except when necessary according to the law and public interest... 78
The Council of Ministers, accordingly, has decided to disfranchise all presently issued journals in accordance with section (1 5 ) of the Regulation of Publication and transfer these privi leges to public establishments in a transitional period of 3 months in which the press will con tinue as it is without any financial engagement g whose obligations will expand beyond this period. The followings are the new and present press estab- 9 lishments created in accordance with the Act. 1) A1 Bilad Establishment for Press and Publication. Headquarters in Jiddah, issuing A1 Bilad (The Country) daily newspaper. 2) A1 Jazerah Establishment for Press, Printing and Publication. Head office is in Riyadh, publishing its A1 Jazerah (The Peninsula) daily newspaper and the expected
A1 Mojtama1 (Society) weekly magazine. 3) Okadh Establishment for Press and Publication. It issues Okadh daily newspaper at Jiddah. 4) Mecca Establishment for Printing and Information, at Mecca. Its newspaper is A1 Nadwah daily. 5) A1 Yamaraah Press Establishment of Riyadh, issuing Riyadh daily newspaper, and the Yamamah weekly magazine and the Riyadh Daily Newsletter in English.
6 ) Dar Al-Youm Establishment for Press, Printing and Publication at Dammam with A1 Youm (Today) daily newspaper.
8 The Ministry of Information. The Saudi Press, (Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, 1964). ^This Act which is called "The Press Establishments Regulations" has been translated by this student. See Appendix A. 79
r
7) A1 Medina Establishment for Press, at Jiddah issuing its daily newspaper A1 Medina.
8 ) A1 Da'awah Press Establishment centered at Riyadh with a weekly newspaper Al-Da'awah (Preaching). This is in addition to some other magazines exempted from the Act and issued by specialized groups, government agencies, colleges, or universities, for example: A1 Manhal, A1 Ha.JJ, Rabitat A1 A'lam A1 Islami, The Oil Caravan, A1 Arab, Replica, Saudi Economic Survey and others. The new legislation created press establishments administered by boards of directors chosen under the approval of the Ministry of Information. The Ministry of Information, under this new law (Appendix A) which disfranchised the old private ownership of the press, was given the power to object or approve the following matters: - Location where newspapers may be issued. - Selection of the establishment’s director-general or his discharge. - Selection of the newspaper's editor-in-chief or his discharge. - Internal regulations of the press. The Ministry is also given authority to revoke the concession awarded to any establishment, if the Ministry concludes that the public interest would best be served by dissolving the establishment. 8o
Article 5 states that the establishments have the permission to declare reasonable profits to be distributed among their members, provided this distribution does not affect the allocation of necessary funds to improve the newspaper. As provided in Articles 11 and 13, members of the establishments are not permitted to take advantage of their membership to influence or interfere with the editing staff in such a way that they obtain financial or private gains. Article 25 makes the editor-in-chief directly respon sible to the Ministry for all violations in editing contrary to the instructions given to him by the director-general. An important provision of Article 29 of the law, provides that the establishment should select from among its members five persons to be called the Committee for the Supervision of Editing. Their duty is to see that the instructions of the establishment are carried out by the Editor-In-Chief. Article 31 requires the press establishments, in order to improve the newspapers, to provide the following minimum obligations for daily papers, a full-time editor-in-chief, four full-time editors, two interpreters, a photographer and three qualified correspondents, and, for weeklies, one full-time editor-in-chief, two full-time editors, and one photographer. 8l
By the new Act the government has abolished the old system, creating another one, hoping to raise the level of the press so that it may serve as a social responsibility rather than only as a trade. The government wanted the press to be a tool for reform and guidance. It wanted the press to be a platform for the general public rather than for private interest of a few individuals. These were the motivations behind the governments decision. It has been now almost nine years since the new Act was passed, enough time for evaluation and appraisal. Has the new Act fulfilled its objectives intended by the government? Has it eliminated the points of failure and weakness in the old regulations? The answer can be yes and no. Yes, because the new press establishments have already appointed full-time editors and photographers. They were able to build permanent headquarters and branch offices in the major cities, and to contract with foreign correspondents outside Saudi Arabia. They have subscribed to the inter national news agencies. Many have bought their own printing press and photographic facilities and made possible more efficiency and flexibility. Yes, because the relative stability has made it possible for the newspaper to search for more artistic beauty in printing and general appearance and more effi cient direction and organization. 82
Yes, because the new system has brought broader fund sources to the press. While the old system depended largely on funds from individual owners, funds in the new system come from a group, many of them being businessmen. The minimum capital of any paper has been set now to be no less than 100,000 Saudi Riyals ($25,000).^ This initial fund enables a beginning newspaper to meet its basic de mands . Yes, because the press establishments are no longer expressing one person's opinions or are channels for the dissemination of simply personal ideas. Boards of direc tors supervise now the policies and activities. Although there are at times when editors-in-chlef play a dominant and active role in the papers' functions. Yes, because the range of material has been extended to include more pages for sports, science, women and fashion, medicine, and quotations from world press. They have been editorializing with noticeable decrease of defamatory 11 material. And yes, because the press has devoted more space and attention to the coverage of local news, government and community activities. Turning the other side of the coin, one could find some disadvantages;
10See the Regulations in Appendix A. 11 Bakri Al-Shaykh Amin, a lecture, op. clt. 83
First* the positions of shareholders and members of the board of directors have been motivated by prestige rather than profit. Most of the shareholders of the press establishments are either Cabinet members or rich business men who have other and more profitable sources of profit than the press business. Those members do not give the slightest attention to the procedure of their newspapers* and in most cases they do not participate in periodic meetings. The negative result' is the absence of enthusiasm existed in the old system when individual editors and owners had strived to supervise their work and eventually increase profits.
Second, despite the intention of Government to have a more financially strong press* most of the press es tablishments reported to this student in 197 °* that they were operating with a deficit. This deficit* largely resulting from the numerous financial obligations* has caused most of the newspapers to raise the price per copy from four to six Saudi piasters (about six U.S. cents) 12 beginning from June* 1 9 6 8. In its statement* announcing the increase* A1 Medina newspaper explained that the raise had been the result of the "closure of the Suez Canal since 1967 and the subsequent
12 Al-Medina Press Establishment. A statement published ln Al-Medina* No. 1265* Vol. 5 (May 23, 1968)* p. 1. 84 raise in the shipment of paper, the expansion of work and the constant desire of the establishment to perform
its duty and develop its daily paper to the proper level. " 13 Third, changing the pattern of ownership, the expan sion in work dimension and the materialistic improvement in printing facilities, offices and recruitment, were not accompanied with a similar quality in the editing aspects. Editing has, with no doubt improved but not in the same rate other materialistic aspects have improved. Editors and correspondents remained almost the same but they became full-time employees and they have to devote and free themselves from other obligations. It was hoped before that the new system would be able financially to encourage its editing staff or printing workers to Improve their educational and vocational back ground by sending them to journalism schools and higher printing workshops. So far nothing of this sort has happened. In an interview published by the Yamama Magazine,
1968, the Minister of Information, at that time, expressed his dissatisfaction and concern about this point: It is the obligation of the press to do its part to secure the qualified staff. They should urgently plan for sending an adequate number of young Saudis to the outstanding international press houses especially those known with integrity,
13Ibid 85
reliability and decency. I am very convinced about the advantage of this step. I can also assure you the best result of this idea if we succeed in properly selecting those students and those international establishments to where our jour nalists would go. 14 Mr. Faisal Shohail, who has worked in the field of journalism, speaks of the Saudi press: The weakness of news, editorials and reportage material in our press is a result of the weak editors themselves, whose ignorance in other languages and their low level of education do not give them the chance to acquaint themselves and read about the development in international press. 15 Although one should appreciate efforts paid by the existing journalists who handle the Saudi press today, it should also be acknowledged that the press today is still poor by good journalistic standards. Fourth, repetition is another distinctive trait in the new system. Government announcements are much the same in all newspapers. All carry the news releases of the new Saudi News Agency and the daily official radio and television editorials. If there is any change in the appearance of these materials, it is in headings, phrasing and word structure.^ Fifth, the absence of competition among the papers
lA An interview with Mr. Ja.mil Johailan, former Minister of Information, Yamamah Magazine (March 1 9 6 8), p. 17*. 18. ■^An interview with this student (Winter of 1970). ■^Bakri, A1 Shaykh, Amin, op. cit.
1 86 and the increasing financial obligations have driven pro minent writers from the press and caused them to turn to other forms of writing which are more lucrative, leaving the newspapers to other less qualified writers. The out standing Saudi writers have no noticeable effect in the newspapers in the recent years. They have been preoccupied with their book compilingjradio and TV programs or other commercial businesses. One of the questions that remains to be answered is the extent to which the press, now under government control has contributed constructively to the country. One may say that it is contributing to some extent, but failing in some things. The press in general is trying to give an accurate representative picture of the country. It has helped by translating and publishing scientific researches and by bringing up-to-date ideas in art, literature and science. It has promoted specialized activities such as sports, arts, religion, etc. and by publishing detailed studies, analysis and criticism, in other areas of life. It has encouraged women's participation by devoting, daily and weekly, pages to women's news, fashions, home and child 17 care, housekeeping, cooking and family problems. As Bakiri Amin pointed out in his lecture in Riyadh. ....
17Ibid. 87 in 1968, the press has served the national interest as opposed to sectionalism or discrimination. For the most part, it has treated problems with vision and calmness. The press, generally, has attempted to avoid exaggeration 10 and to interpret events correctly. 0 The main objective in adopting the new law was to eliminate monopoly and exploitation of the press for private gain. This goal has been achieved. Mr. Faisal Shohail, in his interview with this student, made the following important comparison between the old and new system: One of the advantages of the group ownership is that it appropriates most of its interest for improvements. Two press establishments, A1 Nadwa and A1 Jazerah, have already succeeded in^buying their own modern printing press. The new regula tions state also that press companies should subscribe to at least one news agency. What the new system lacks is the need for effective and fast decision-making. In addition, the large numbers of editorial and administra tive staff entail sizeable financial expendi tures ... The lack of freedom given to the Editor-in- chief by the Board has caused most of the papers to loose their identity, making all papers similar in their political orientations. Boards of Directors and the Control Committees appointed by them.to supervise the editorial function would handicap the Editors-in-Chief and cause them to carry out the majority's opinion. 19 The former Minister of Information, one of the advocates
l8Ibid. -*-9An interview with this student, Winter 1970. 88 of group ownership and. who was a factor in the adoption of the new law* was interviewed in March 1968 by the Yamamah Magazine, expressing his opinion about the achieve ments of the press in this period: This (Act of Press Establishment), in my opinion, was a productive and praiseworthy step. I can now say that the level of the press has remarkably risen when we removed the individual profit. I am confident to say now that there is a "press" in this country although it has not yet, unfortunately, reached the desirable level or the degree hoped. 20 Mr. Abdulla A1 Gasabi, former Director-General of A1 Medina Press Establishment, and one of the. critics of the new regulations, wroter in 1968 a report analyzing some of the problems facing the Saudi Press. His study, in which he concentrated on the financial situation, was a series of five articles, printed in the editorial column on the first page of A1 Medina. Mr. A1 Gasabi believes that the main fault in the new system is the low capital fund required to initiate a newspaper (which is a minimum of 100,000 Saudi Riyals ($25,000): The minimum capital fund was not consistant with the many facilities and obligations required by the Act, such as full-time editors, correspondents and interpretors and subscription to the new agencies. This small initial fund is not sufficient to meet all the requirements. This was the biggest obstacle in our way. 21
20 An interview,-,Yamamah Magazine, op. cit. ^Abdullah A1 Gasabi, "Needs of the Press and Public Opinion" A1 Medina, Editorial (Vol. 5, May 24, 1 9 6 8), p. 1. 89
He appealed to the government to continue its financial support of the press with publication of its 22 advertisements:
This government usually appropriates a sizeable amount of money for information and propaganda* and since our press is one of the most important channels of social and political information in the country, it is then entitled to receive the government support...
.-...The government subsidy could take the shape of technical assistance such as providing equipment, libraries, encyclopedias, dictionaries, training and sending students to specialize in journalism. ^ To conclude this discussion, this student accepts the fact that the newspaper is a business enterprise as well as an informative public service. As Zechariah Chafee observed, it is like "a combination, of one organization, of a college and a large private business, the one devoted to educating the public, the other to making money for few owners. This is an awkward position and yet it must 24 be maintained. Newspapers must be economically strong
The clause "government advertisements' or government announcement"has been frequently mentioned in this study. The two clauses are interchangeable. They both include tenders for construction, purchase, maintenance, job open ings in the various government ministries and departments, recruitment for military services and institutes or judicial notices. 23A . Algasabi, op. cit.
sl^ . Rivers and W. Schramm. Responsibility In Mass Communication (Harper and Row Publishers, N.Y.,' N.Y. “ Revised Ed. T9 6 9) p. 5 8 .
1 90 so that they can perform their responsibility and report on controversial political* economic and social problems.
The more the newspapers depend financially on themselves* the more they can work* independent from government* for the public interest. If the government is bound to subsidize the press* responding to the constant press appeals* there are many ways other than direct financial subsidies with which the government can help. These ways include facilitating the transportation of journalist or initiating an institute for journalism studies or printing workshop for training. What happened in 19^3 (The Press Establishment Act) represented* in this student's opinion* a mere technical change in the structure of the press. It required the press
to make improvements provided in Article 31 o f the Act, but the government could have made these requirements under the old system. The new Press Act has provided materialistic more than journalistic improvements of the press* and there are other basic improvements need to be made: - An effective distribution system of the press throughout Saudi Arabia is particularly important* in order for a newspaper to reach the largest possible number of readers. - Research and research specialists to ascertain reliable circulation figures* to conduct surveys of readers*
1 91 opinions and study relationships between the press and. general public.
- Educating and training journalists and technicians should seriously be considered for the overall development in the press. As for the argument about the validity of the present system of the Saudi press, this student believes that time has come for Saudi Arabia to conduct an immediate and care ful top-level study. This study should precede any fundamental change in the structure of the press. Such a study might involve the creation of a special commission composed of government officials, journalists, press executives, and scholars of communication, administration and business. Such a commission would recommend the best possible press structure or combination of systems to serve the interests and needs of the country. The commission would study the role of the press and the role of the government and attempt to determine the number of newspapers and magazines in Saudi Arabia, keeping in mind the current educational level, the state of economy and vocational and technical capabilities. The make-up of such a commission would have to be very carefully balanced. Safeguards against undue dominance by government or industry or other vested Interests would be needed. It would be helpful to study the press systems in other countries with similar political, social and . 92 economic situations and secure advice and consultations from outstanding international experts in the field.
Press and the Government Unlike radio and television stations, the press in Saudi Arabia has been privately owned, and since 19^3 newspapers have been issued by eight press organizations. Each is owned by fifteen to twenty shareholders approved by the Ministry of Information. Those shareholders function as board of directors and determine the policies and operation of the paper. The press is regulated by the government, represented by the General Directorate of the Press, a division of the Ministry of Information. While neither newspapers nor magazines are consistently censored, theyrisk suppression if they print anything which is deemed offensive to the government. Consequently, the opinions expressed in the press on the whole have tended to mirror the line followed by official publications. This is, of course, a natural result, especially following the new pattern of ownership designed by the government (the Press Act of 19^3) which gives the govern ment the power to license the company, approve or reject any one of its owners or shareholders, approve the names selected for general managers, their assistants and the editors-in-chief. 93
Also it is natural that the press must yield to political pressures since the press is dependent on its revenues from subscription and commercial advertising as well as from government announcements, (According to the annual report of A1 Medina newspaper in 1968* its income from government announcements was 548*834 Saudi'
Riyal ($121*9 6 3 .00)5 and its revenue from coramerical advertisements for the same year was 442*285 Saudi Riyal
($9 8*2 8 5.0 0 ) . 25
Although the Ministry of Information has emphasized in the Press Act of 1963, its position toward the press "as the guide or advisor position without practicing its right to Interfere* except rarely and within the limits 26 of public interest," one should note here that other government regulations do affect the press and give the Ministry a power to interfere. They are called "The Publishing Regulations" and concerned with book and press publishing* the printing press licensing and censoring all foreign publications limported to the country. Concerning the press* these regulations state: Article 26; Any journal that attributes to a person or group any false statements or news should publish*
^Abdullah A1 Gasabi* "An Annual Report to the Board of Director of A1 Medina Press Estab.* in 1 9 6 8. A1 Medina (Vol. 5, 1244 Monday April 29., 1 9 6 8)* p. 5. 26 Saudi Press* op. cit. 94
free of charge., in the first possible issue, and- in the same place, any correction requested from the concerned person or group.
Article 27: The Press is not permitted to print any private correspondence between persons unless permission is granted. Article 28: The Press is not permitted to print any things promoting destructive principles, misleading apostasy against this country’s tradition and customs. Article 33: The Ministry of Information has the right to forbid any things against the public interest. Article 34: Criticism or defamation of kings, presidents or friendly countries are prohibited. Article 35: Insulting and calling down of heads and members of the diplomatic corps in Saudi Arabia, and any kind of publishing which will disturb or offend relationships with friendly nations are forbidden.
Article 3 6 : The press is not allowed to publish material which downgrades or dishonors any person, or local organization, or to publish any confidential matters which may cause any harm to any person's property, reputation or trade name, if the motivation for this is blackmailing him or depriving him of the freedom of work'. 27 According to the Publishing Regulations, (Article 12A) the Ministry of Information is authorized to censor all imported printed materials. Prom regulations cited above, the control of Saudi government over the press is clear. It is a dominant power in licensing, revoking and dictating policies of all publications. The press can be considered the secondary channel for disseminating government news, ideologies and
^The Ministry of Information, Printing and Publishing Regulations, Al-Asfahani Press, Jiddah, Saudi”Arabia, undated. 95 policies. The print media are allowed to publish critical articles so long as they comply with the government regulations. Society, any society, can be influenced by three important things in the performance of the mass media: government, the media themselves and the public, all share the responsibility. Variations in balance of responsibility will differ from culture to culture, and from nation to nation with varied political systems. Almost any media system is subject to certain basic controls, among those being laws designed to protect individuals or groups against defamation, to preserve the common standards of decency and morality and to protect the country against treasonable utterance. Even in a so-called free system, the instruments of mass communication are not allowed to defame the innocent or to outrage the common morality. In Saudi Arabia, the present relationship of the government toward the press is a result of political and social conditions. First, was the political atmosphere during the last decade. The Middle Eastern area was living in a political ferment, fumbling between west and east with growing extreme leftist ideologies. Propaganda campaigns clashed against each other amidst that atmosphere. Change of governments, Coups d'etat and revolutions characterized the dictionary of social scene.. Saudi Arabia, the new 96 emerging country, busy with its internal development programs, did not want to hurl itself into that violent upheaval.
This student stands for a minimum government control of the press, limiting its interference only to those instances which work against the public interest. He ailso believes that the government does bear some responsibility to see that the press operates in the public interest. The Ministry of Information has constantly stressed that it welcomes and will accept any constructive criticism, but the editors are cautious and hesitate to deal with critical issues or controversial problems. There are many social, economical and educational areas that could be discussed without running afoul of the government restriction.
Contents- of the Press The existing six dailies, four weeklies and five monthly newspapers and magazines provide the reader with a variety of political, literary, religious, social and educational material. Only six are considered specialized periodicals, three provide religiously oriented materials, one is concerned with economics and two are concerned with literary research and writing. The rest of the Saudi press embrace a combination of varied categories: Almost all devote at least one page for women 97 activities, news and fashions. The Yamamah Establishment has on many occasions printed special issues carrying the name New Eve or She edited by Saudi women journalists. In the last few years, especially after the coming of television, a new weekly page started to appear, consist ing of program logs, and articles about broadcast person alities, interviews, criticism and discussion. Several newspapers and magazines provide one page for literary writing - prose, poetry, arguments, debate and criticism. At least two newspapers and magazines devote space regularly to the publication of caricatures, which did not emerge as an art until the 1960's in the Saudi press. As soon as Al-Riyadh, a daily newspaper, featured the Saudi leading artist in caricature, Mr. All Kharjy, treating boldly different social problems, readers started to develop the habit of looking at the comic corner first, making Al-Riyadh one of the popular daily papers. Sports, especially soccer, is one of the most inter esting topics for readers. It occupies one to two pages in every newspaper and magazine. It usually includes full analysis and description of the local games as well as stories about leading international teams and figures. Other topics broached by the press are full pages for International, Islamic and Arabic and local news, 98
including reports on industrial, social, educational or governmental developments. (An analysis and description of one typical Saudi newspaper will be discussed under the next heading.) Specialized Press, although, has been vivid since the I960's did not develop enough to parallel the fast paced development of the country. For example, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a revolutionary improvement in girls education. It is expected then that a more effective representation of women press will be seen, among the present publications. This is also true with children. The Saudi press has never carried or published any material of interest to children such as comics, puzzles and fictional or educational stories. The courageous, but unsuccessful attempt of Issuing , * the children's color magazine, edited by T. Zamakhshari in 1959 remembered now with admiration and nostalgia, should not discourage the present press establishments from further attempts. The last twelve years gone by since this pilot attempt, have changed the financial, technical and editorial pattern of the press which contributed to the failure of that children's magazine in 1959* The lack of specialized publication for children and women remains one of the most serious gaps in the Saudi press. The press industry and the Ministry should take the initiative to provide these important services. 99
Specialized editors are also greatly needed. There is a scarcity, if not a complete absence of specialized Journalists. It is difficult to find a Journalist, writer, or reporter who is a specialist in political affairs, science, economy, etc. Only in the last few years has there been any writing by graduates who hold MA's and PhD.'s in different disci plines, making contributions to the press. Lack of qualified staff discussed throughout this study is a major factor behind this problem. Another factor is the way the press is viewed, as a hoppy or a part-time Job rather than as a career or profession. The financial attraction of the press has not been enough to change this view and attract educated people.
An Analysis of a Typical Newspaper This analysis aims to find out how much space does a representative newspaper in Saudi Arabia allocate to local news? How much advertising does it carry? How much of the news is given, local news, Arabic and international? And which part of the world is given the most coverage? Al-Riyadh is a daily, morning newspaper which deals with political, economic, social, religious, and cultural matters and provides entertainment items including sports news. It is edited and produced in the Saudi Arabian Capital, Riyadh, the largest city, with a population of 100 about 300,000. The paper is the only daily in the Capital, read regularly by most government officials, military officers, professionals, academicians, business men and other of the literate elite. It is analyzed here as a typical Saudi Arabian newspaper, being one of the six daily Arabic-language newspaper published in the country. Al Riyadh (10,000 copies) is issued by A1 Yamamah Press Establishment in Riyadh, which also issues the weekly Al Yamamah Magazine and the Riyadh Daily Newsletter pub lished in English. Al Yamamah Establishment is owned by thirty share holders composed of government officials, businessmen, writers and academicians. The administrative structure of the company can be seen in the following organizational chart, which is also a typical structure in any press establishment at the present time. (See next page). Hassan Husseini, a Saudi graduate student in the Speech Department of Ohio State University made, in coopera tion with this writer and in conjunction with this study, an analysis of Al-Riyadh, using six consecutive issues as a sample. ^
P8 cuMohammed Ibn Abbas, a forthcoming publication on the Saudi Press, supplied to this student in the Winter, 1970. 29 ^The following is based on Hassan Husseini*s term paper, "An Elite Newspaper in a Developing Country: A Statistical Analysis of Al-Riyadh of Saudi Arabia" (Jour nalism 693-01, May 1971/ 0.S.U.). For Dr. Galen Rarick. 101
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF A TYPICAL NEWSPAPER IN SAUDI ARABIA ......
Director-General
Assistant D.G.
Administration & Financing Editing
Supervision Committee
Administration Manager .
Editor-in-Chief
Cashier Circu- Ads Accounting Editing Manager lation 1 1 Inter Corres ' Executive preters pondents Editor
Archives Photo Editors graphers 102
It should he made clear at the outset that this study is not meant to he comparative. This is not an analysis of Al-Riyadh hy the standards of Western newspapers. Nor is it intended to he an indictment of Al-Riyadh. Al-Riyadh appears six days a week, Saturday through Thursday. There is no paper on Friday, the traditional day of rest. However, there is an eight-page cutlural-literary- political tahloid supplement on Thursdays. The supplement was not included in the analysis. On Mondays there Is a special page dedicated to women's affairs. The six issues sampled for this study fell in the middle of the Muslim month of Ramadan, November 10 to 16, 1970* During the holy month, the faithfuls abstain from eating, drinking, or smoking during the daytime. Working hours throughout the country are usually moved forward to allow employees to begin work later in the day, while the city's night life is greatly extended. Shopping centers usually remain open very late and enjoy booming sales, similar to the pre-Christmas season in the West. For these reasons, it is assumed that the quantity of advertising by private enterprises in our samples is somewhat inflated. Furthermore, it is assumed that more space than usual was allotted to religious news because of the religious month. Page 1 and the last page are usually printed in two colors - black and red. Over 55 percent of page 1 was covered with advertising. Page 2 contained news from the 103
i Arab, Muslim and other countries of the world. Page 3. usually contains cultural and religious news features, sayings, and poetry. Page 4 is heavily weighed with local political and economic news. Page 5 is the sports page, usually entirely local. However, twice during the week there was no sports news: on Thursday the page contained a full-page feature on the opening of a new hospital, and on Sunday the page was taken up mostly by government advertising. There is almost no "yellow" news in Al-Riyadh. There is a minimum coverage of deaths, killings, assaults, robber ies, burglaries, scandals, or other usual items found in Western papers. This may be due in part to the low incidence of crime in a country where religious moral standards are strictly enforced. Local news stories rarely follow Western style Journa lism. The what, where, when, why, who and how are not usually given in the leads. Reports are written in narrative style, and frequently one or more of the 5 W's and H are missing. Stories translated from news agencies follow the Western style of an inverted pyramid, with a dateline that includes the city of origin, the date, and the initials of the news agency, usually the Associated Press in Al-Riyadh. The important facts are given In the lead paragraph. Non-local stories which are not attributed to a news agency may be 104 from monitored radio broadcasts, press releases, or Ministry of Information bulletins. The samples studied were generously sprinkled with small, one-column photos of prominent personalities in the news, but the names of the individuals never appear below their photos. These photos usually appear next to the name of the personality when he is first mentioned in a story. This practice, however, is confusing when the wrong picture is used, when there is more than one personality mentioned in the news story, or when the individual is not well known. In the case of regular photographs, there is no consistency in providing information as to who took the photograph, when, and where, much less what it is all about. The paper does provide items of public interest, such as the five daily prayer times, useful telephone num bers, radio and TV programs and drugstores open at night. However, information on weather conditions, births, marriages, airport traffic^fire and police runs, current events, and other similar standard items in Western newspapers are rarely provided. It is not immediately clear how difficult it is to produce a sophisticated newspaper in an emerging country. For example, an automatic telephone network went into operation in Riyadh only as recently as mid-1 9 6 9. Until the telephone becomes a fully integrated part of life in the capital city - and the country as a whole - it will 105 be difficult for the newspaper to obtain complete informa tion regularly and easily. The problem of detailed* catalogued information is also a big obstancle. Finally* the relative youth of the press establishments in Riyadh poses major technical* professional* and sociological problems. This includes the lack of technicians* pressmen* and a general appreciation of the importance and role of the press in a society. Editorial comment is frequently found in headlines of local stories. Commentaries are usually restricted to pages 3 and 8 . They are placed in boxes and the name of the author is indicated at the bottom. Letters to the editor are not common* although lengthy opinions are published as regular feature articles. There is a daily cartoon on the last page which is usually a sharp indict ment of common social or bureaucratic problems. All relevant data in the six sample issues studied were tabulated. Stories and headlines* photos* and advertisements were measured in column-indhes, Because of some wasted space in between stories and because standard subject headlines were not measured* the total measured contents average 9 3 -3 percent of the 1*344 column-inches available in each issue.
Final results showed that about equal space went to local news and photos and to total advertising - 3 6 .4 and 37.4 percent respectively. News about the Arab world 106 averaged 3 .7 percent dally, the Muslim countries 1.9 per cent, the United Nations 1.2 percent, and other inter national affairs 12.7 percent. In terms of column-inches, local news was mostly religious, cultural and entertainment. But in terms of individual number of stories, as can be seen below, the largest number of local stories was political, economic or social in character. The exact breakdowns follows: By Col-In By No. Stories Sports 17.8$ 15.4# Religious, Cultural, Entertainment 42.8# 3 8 .6# Political, Economic, Social 39.4# 46.0# Total 100.0# 100.
Similar differences' were found when comparing total space alloted to news and photos (average 5 5 *9# daily) and the average 68 stories which appeared daily in Al-Riyadh. The major difference is apparently due to news from the Arab countries, which are covered by generally brief items. The breakdown follows: By Col-in By No. Stories
Local 6 5 . 1# 57.3# Arab & United Nations 8 .8# 14.3#
Muslim 3.4# 3.3# International 22.7# 25.1# Total 1 0 0 .0# 1 0 0 .0# 107
Advertising was almost equally divided between government and private sponsored - 5 1 .7 and 48.3 percent respectively. On the average day there are about 17 photos that supplement the average 68 stories in the paper. The photos are heavily local in number, 7 0 .8 percent, with a large percentage of international photos, 23.4 percent. The number of photos about Arab, Muslim and United Nations subjects total 5 .8 percent. A little over half of all non-local stories was attributed to news agencies, 54.8 percent. But this left a sizeable proportion, 45.2 percent, not attributed to any source. It was expected before the study was made that most non-Saudi news would be from the Arab or Muslim countries. However, this was disproven by the breakdown of non-local news: Arab 18.9#
Muslim 9-7#
International 6 5 .0# United Nations 6.4ff?
Total lOO.i The overwhelming majority of non-local news, went to non-Arab and non-Muslim countries. Therefore, eight new categories of either individual countries or groups of countries were analyzed. Two groups of countries were 108 chosen in Africa and the Far East to test for a possible distortion in news reporting: since Al-Riyadh is. a sub scriber to the Associated Press, which serves numerous customers in the Far East and European-dominated Africa, it is possible that Saudi newspapers are receiving ex cessive news about these two latter parts of the world.
United States 15.4# France 15.4# United Kingdom 10.6#
India, Japan, South Vietnam 8 .9^ Israel-Jordan 7.1# Lebanon 4.7*
United Arab Republic (Egypt) 3-0% Rhodesia, Kenya, South Africa 1.8#
Total 6 6 .9#
The eight areas covered accounted for 6 6 .9 percent of all non-local news. As ca,n be seen in the detailed breakdown above, there was a heavy bias in favor of news from the United States, Britain and France. These three Western powers accounted for 4l.4 percent of all non-local news in Al-Riyadh. This may be ascribed to many factors. Certainly the three countries are "news makers." They are * t also important. They are "relevant" to Saudi Arabia as trade partners. On the negative side, it may be that in 109 the news flow patterns between the developed and under-* developed countries there is a "downward flow" relation ship, with news going from the advanced, industrialized communities to the developing nations. "How dare your guest falls asleep during ray song!" ■PJ.iIJ'CT
"Al-Riyadh Daily Vol. 6 , 1659 Oct. 26, 1970, p.8 . PART THREE RADIO BROADCASTING INTRODUCTION Examine almost any developing country in the early stages of growth and we will say these things about it: "Two communication systems functioning side by side.
In the citiesi newspapers and few radio receivers are in use. In the villages, communication is chiefly oral and personal as It has been for ages. The new system is reach ing into the villages but slowly." "There is an absence of trained personnel for modern communication. The shortage includes writing, production, engineering, management and maintenance men." "There is a shortage of news print with which to expand the coverage of newspapers and make books and magazines more widely available to new literates."... "There is a shortage of radio receivers with which information might leap the literacy barriers and bring modern life to the villages."... "There is a shortage of printing, broadcasting and film-making and projecting equipment."... "There is neither plan or mechanism for integrating and balancing the communication development with each other or with other aspects of national development such as
110 Ill education and decision-making...”1 This is where mass communication development starts - with a set of problems like these and a commitment to solve them. As shown in the preceedlng part of this study, this was the situation with the press in Saudi Arabia during the early stages of its development. It was also the situation with radio broadcasting.
Radio broadcasting started in Saudi Arabia in 19^9* a little less than a quarter of a century ago. Its long infancy lasted from 19^9 to the beginning of the sixties, when technical, economic, artistlcal and social develop ments began to emerge in a significant way. During the 1960's, women broadcast for the first time on radio, string orchestras were initiated, hours of broad casting were increased to allow modern music for both male and female to perform, and the signal coverage of stations was extended to all parts of the country. Additional services in Arabic and modern languages were established. The following chapters deal with these subjects: Chapter VII, an examination of the early history of radio development (from 19^9 to the beginning of the
1 9 6 0 ' s ).
X W. Schramm. "Building the Mass Media". Mass Media and National Development. (Stanford University Press and”" Unesco Press,” Paris",' 1964), p . 202,2 0 3 . 112
Chapter VIII, a description and analysis of current programming, administrative and technical aspects of radio, beginning with the 1960's to the present time. As with the press, this current programming and facilities will receive most of the analysis and examination. CHAPTER VII
EARLY HISTORY OP RADIO (1948-1960) In terms of development and social change, radio ■becomes important in the early years of national develop ment. It has unique ability to inform and communicate with people in all parts of the country. It can broad cast news and provide other informational materials to help people to participate in public affairs. In this student's opinion there is no doubt that those who first adopted the idea of building the radio medium in Saudi Arabia had had this important goal in mind. Also there was the matter of prestige. Almost every country in the area had radio: Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. All had radio, except Saudi Arabia. Radio could bring information to people who could not read newspapers\ it could bring instructions and advice to people who needed information regarding farming, health, etc., and with radio Saudi Arabia wanted to be counted among those countries using this prestigeous mechanism for development and progress. In earlier years, Saudi Arabia was not prepared to accept or use radio. Actually, introducing radio twenty-four years ago to Saudi Arabia was a premature step because:
113 /
114
Socially, the most important unifying force of Saudi society is Islam. The people are intensely conscious of their Islamic and traditional heritage. Because of this Islamic history and isolation from the outside world, the social structure and mode of living of the people changed very little over the centuries. It was not until after the thirties, after the discovery of oil, that Saudi Arabia achieved any kind of stability and prosperity. Islamic instructions have exercised a more intense and permeating influence over the lives of the inhabitants of Saudi Arabia than anywhere else in the Islamic world because of the association of the area with the birth of the religion and be cause of its isolation from competitive social influence. 1 Radio, films, singing equipment, etc. were thought by conservative religious people in Saudi Arabia to be forms of perversive instruments of entertainment and were strongly objected to during the thirties, forties and fifties. The government had attempted to modify these more restrictive and ultraconservative attitudes in order to permit the modernization of society. King Ibn Saud, being aware of the basic needs of society, was convinced of the desir ability of introducing modern ways into Saudi Arabia. He tried to reconcile the imported Western ideas such as telephone, telegraph, radio, airplanes and cars with those of an ancient Arab and Islamic culture.
■'’Norman C. Walpole, et al. Area Handbook for Saudi Arabia. (U.S. Government Printing Office,' “Washington D.C. December 1 9 6 6), p. 3; 115
The famous rebellion of Ikhwans against King Ibn
Saud in 1929 precipitated many problems. They demanded, among other things, that King Ibn Saud renounce and destroy the inventions of infidels which he had approved and used: motor cars, telephone and telegraphy. He replied: he was perfectly willing to do without these things if the Ikhwans would renounce and destroy their rifles which were o also the product of Infidels. When King Ibn Saud established the first local broadcasting station in 19^9 despite the ’’initial disapproval of the conservative and religious groups, he was reported to have answered their objection by asserting that since radios were not mentioned In the Koran, it must not be assumed that religion had intended to prohibit their use. He ordered parts of the Koran to be broadcast and was quoted as clinching the argument with 'can anthing be bad which 3 transmits the words of God.'" Under these conditions quite naturally, development could be expected to be slwo, despite bold attempts to expedite action.
2David Howarth. The Desert King: Ibn Saud and His Arabia, (McGraw Hill Co., W. YT",”X964j, p. 157. ^Norman C. Walpole, op. cit. Also found In George Lipsky Saudi Arabia (1959)• David Howarth In his book mentioned above7 ’The Desert King, reported that this story often told in the~Western books, has the air of being invented in the west. See p. 157. 1 1 6
Before leaving this subject a related interesting point should be mentioned. It has to do with different approaches followed by the three Saudi Kings in receiving news of important developments in the world. David Howarth reported in his book, The Desert King: Ibn Saud and His Arabia (1964) that "news of the war... were the principle topic in his (the King) evening con versation. Secretaries wrote down the Arabic broadcast from Germany, Italy and Britain and read them to him every day 4 and he discussed them endlessly."
His successor, former King Saud (1953 until his ouster in 1964) had a similar way in getting news. Four people were appointed in the palace to monitor and record the foreign and Arabic-language radio stations. Foreign stations monitored as requested by the King included, the BBC, Voice of America, The United Nations, Radio Paris and Radio Moscow, Arabic stations, to be monitored, included the Arabic service of the BBC, New Delhi, Ankara, Paris and the Arabic general programs of the following Arab capitals; Baghdad, Damascus, Beirout and Cairo. Two of these people used to read the news bulletins loudly before the King 5 three times a day.
The present King Faisal, daily receives regular news
^D. Howarth, op. cit., p. 249. ^Taken from an undated document provided to this student with other documents by King Sauds Archive Office. 117 through his own radio and through the monitoring service of the Ministry of Information. The first radio station in Saudi Arabia., desired by King Saud when he was the Prince Crown, was approved by his father Late King Ibn Saud In 19^-9 • The then Minister of Finance, Mr. Abdullah Sulaiman Hamdan, was commissioned by Viceroy, Prince Faisal, to supervise and follow up the matter. The first step in establishing the station was a contract for construction and installation awarded to the International Standard Electric Corporation, a subsidiary of the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation 6 (corporated under the law of the State of Delaware). The contract which was signed at the Saudi Embassy in Cairo on the eleventh of May 1949 (13 Rajab 1368 A.H.), called for the "installation, maintenance and technical management of a wireless radio broadcasting station for the transmission in Arabic of religious and cultural programs 7 to all Arabic-speaking countries." The contract apparently was signed after the equip ment had been shipped to the port of JIddah during the month of April, 1949. The contract provided for a total
g “ A copy of the contract was provided to this student by Mr. Ibraheem Fodah, who was the Director-General of the Saudi radio station during the early 1950's. 7Ibid. 118 cost of equipment in the amount of $2 5 0 ,0 0 0 with an annual expense for maintenance and technical operation and super vision in the amount of $6 0 ,0 0 0 , for a period of two years, ending on the second of October, 1951. It was later extended 8 for a third year ending on the second of October, 1952. Although the contract had emphasized the fifth of July, 19^9 as the target date for the beginning of trans mission, at that time it was still operating experimentally and the official full-fledged transmission did not begin until the eleventh of October 19^9 (8 , thul-Hijaz', 1368 A.H.) It was on this day that Islamic pilgraims halted at Mount Arafat for prayer, the day preceding one of the two 9 principle Islamic feasts (Wakfa). In the opening ceremony, a statement from King Ibn Saud was read by his son, Prince Faisal, congratulating the pilgrims for performing the Islamic ritual, and welcoming them to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The contract provided that the total power of trans mission would be 2 ,5 0 0 watts, the transmission equipment would operate on short and medium waves, the main studio, control, and transmission facilities would be built in Jiddah, with additional studios in Mecca, nereby, and in other pilgrimage sacred places around Mecca, all to be ..
o °The wireless Radio Broadcasting of Saudi Arabia. Story of Radio, A booklet (Saudi Country Press, Mecca, 1952). 9ibid. 119
connected through cables. Those two cities, Jiddah and
Mecca, rather than Riyadh, the Capital were preferred as centers for studios and transmissions due to their important religious location.
In simple words of the Royal Decree, No. 7/3/16/3997* dated July 19^9 (23 Ramadan 1368 A.H.), King Ibn Saud delegated the responsibility of this radio station to his son, Prince Faisal (the Present King) who was at that time the Viceroy of the Province of Al-Hijaz.*^ The Decree, (see next page) which stated the general policy of the new sta.tion, was later followed by another explanatory Decree, specifying, in details, the objectives of the Saudi Arabian broadcasting (see Appendix B). In this early development of radio, the Saudi Govern ment assumed ownership and control of the medium. Sub sequently, the Government did the same with television. This system of control for both media has continued to the present time. This system of broadcasting was not created in Saudi Arabia. Rather, it was borrowed from neighboring countries. In Egypt, for example, where the initial arrangement for this radio station was made, and where the technical plans and studies took place, the Egyptian govern ment owns its radio communication facilities.
•**°General Directorate of Broadcasting. The Royal Decree Establishing Radio (Corp. for Printing, Press and Publication, Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, 195^) p. 9* 1°* 120
ROYAL DECREE # 7/3/1^/3997 (JULY 19^9) ESTABLISHING THE POLICIES OF THE FIRST BROADCASTING STATION.
From Abdul-azia Ibn Saud to our son, Faisal. Peace be with you, his grace and blessings. Our advisors have layed before us the matter of the radio broadcasting in Jiddah, We see the following: First, a director shall be selected to be in charge of the station and its administrative work - including preparation of talks, and news which are to be examined, rectified and broadcast, the work for improving these programs, and the training of personnel. Second, a program shall be supervised by you and executed after your approval. Third, the program shall fulfill the following: 1 - The dissemination of foreign news as it is, noticing that nobody is insulted, avoiding defamation or undue praise of anyone. 2 - In local news, facts should be followed, noticing our way of transmitting whatever we usually publish and remaining silent on issues not usually published. 3 - The broadcasting of Koran, religious preaching and the lectures of Islam and Arab history.
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Another factor* private business in Saudi Arabia at that time was not financially or technically able to compete, with the government* in the United States* and in Britain* since the invention of radio and other communication facilities such as telephone and telegraph* patents have been owned by private business. In Saudi Arabia* license fees and registration have never been required in radio and television. Advertising had never been broadcast* and all operational expenses are derived from the government treasury. The following discussion will examine the early history of the station's administration and programming and its use of technical facilities.
Early Development: Administration As the Minister of Finance* the Supervisor of the station had to secure technical advice from such Egyptian experts as Abdulmajeed Hennawi* Superintendent of the Telephone Co. and Abdulhameed Ghonaim* the Manager of Wireless and Radio in Egypt* it was natural then for him to seek their assistance in the administrative and pro gramming matters. Three Egyptian broadcasters* Abdulrahman Nasr* Abdulhameed Younis* and Ali Al-Ra’el* were employed temporarily by the Ministry of Finance to train the new 11 Saudi Staff. This meant that the whole pattern of.
^Story of Radio* op. cit. 123
operation - administrative, programming and technical, in Saudi Arabia was largely borrowed from the Egyptian system. Egypt has been the nearest, most efficient Arabian neighbor of Saudi Arabia, in the field of Arabic broad casting.
The three broadcasters remained only for a few months but they laid the foundation for the building and future operation of the station. During this early period (1949-1960), six persons in succession, occupied the position of managers of the station, most of them having been educated or trained in 12 Egypt. They were: 1) Ibraheem A1 Shoora, who served three different
terms in 1949* 1955 and from 1958 to 1 9 6 2. 2) Mohammed Shata who served only one term of one
year and few months (1950-1 9 5 1)* 3) Ibraheem Fodah, who served the longest term (1951-1956). 4) Abdullah Bal Khalr, held the position of Director- General for Broadcasting,., Press and Publication, and then was promoted as a Minister without portfolio for broadcasting and publication matters. During two years of his term
(1956-1 9 5 8), he directly supervised the operation of the station. 12 The following is based on the personal interview with the mentioned people. The Interview took place during this student's research trip to Saudi Arabia (Winter 1970)* 124
During Mr. Fodah’s five-year term as general manager, the station experienced a remarkable improvement in both the administrative and programming fields. Interviews and literature and records of the stations programming available to this student* provided evidences that among the four managerships* he was one of the most active and efficient in the operation of the station. With a longer term* with his organizational ability* with modest facilities and with availability of funds from government* he was able to achieve significant accomplishments. An example of this was his publication of duties and responsibilities for different personnel and departments in the station* the issuance of a monthly periodical showing the program logs and recordings of the program musical themes (which are heard at the beginning and the end of each program. These musical themes were composed by local composers). These indigenous examples might be thought of by Westerners as normal practice* but to a small primitive station with a scarcity of managerial and artistic talent* this was an exceptional innovative step. Due to the sensitive and serious regard of King Saud for the importance of the station and the distance of the station in Jiddah from Riyadh* the Capital* a reliable liaison was constantly needed to supervise the programming policies of the distant station. At first the station was connected with the Minister of Finance* 125
Mr. Abdullah Sulalman A1 Hamdan, or his deputy, Mohammed Soror Al Sabban, receiving their instructions from Prince Faisal, Viceroy of Al-Hijaz. Then, in October 1952, a Royal Ordinance was issued forming a new administration called "General Administration for Pilgrimage and Broadcasting" with both activities of broadcasting and pilgrimage under the direct supervision 13 of the Minister of Finance. No reason was given for this strange connection between radio and pilgrimage, but the importance of radio during the pilgrimage season and the fact that both, pilgrimage and radio were considered a form and field for propaganda and information could explain the idea behind combining such activities under one administration. Three years later, April 29, 1955, a Royal Decree was Issued creating a new autonomous administration called "General Directorate of Broadcasting." Its general manager was required to report directly to the Council of Ministers. This Decree could be considered the first one to establish a comprehensive detailed policy of broadcast- 14 ing in the country. (See Appendix B). Just two months later, a new Royal Decree was issued, establishing the General Directorate of Broadcasting,
-^Royal Ordinance #150* Dated October 20, 1952. Published in Umm Al-Qura, Vol. 1436, October 31, 1952, (12 Safar 1372JT^
1 Umm Al-Qura, Vol. 1573, April 29, 1955 fl6 Ramadan. 1374). 126
Press and Publication.” (GDBPP) this time, all infor mational activities were centralized under this agency. ^
Mr. Abdullah Balkhair was appointed Director-General of this new administration. He apparently continued until
1 9 6 2, when the new Ministry of Information was created 16 replacing the GDBPP, and headed by Mr. Jamil Hojailan, 17 former Minister of Information.
Early Development: Technical Facilities The technical aspects of the station was, during the first eight months of operation, under the supervision of the PTT (Post, Telephone and Telegraph), and then it wa3 created as a department in the General Directorate of Broadcasting. The actual operation, maintenance of electronic equipment and transmission of the station was the function of the American company which provided the equipment (International Standard Telephone Corp.) and according to its contract, it remained in Saudi Arabia for three years ending October 2, 1952.
15Umm Al-Qura, Vol. 1570, June 24, 1955 (4 thul- quedah, 1374). 16 Royal Decree No. 43. (9 Shawal 1 3 8 2). Umm Al-Qura, Vol. 1912, Dated 23, March, 1962 (17, Shawal, 1382')V
"^Royal Decree No. 57 (4 Thol-Quedah, 1382). Umm Al- Qura, Vol. 1965 dated 5 April, 1 9 6 2. Mr. Jamil Hojallan, the first Minister of Information had been appointed as Director General of the GDBPP beginning from 3 1 , Dec. i9 6 0. (Royal DecreeNo. 5/14/1/48 (13 Rajab 1 3 8 0) published in Al-Bllad, Vol. 583 dated January 1, 1 9 6 1. 127
The Saudi Arabian broadcasting station remained
dependent with its low power transmission of 2£00 watts until February 1956 when a 10*000 watts transmitter was
installed in Jiddah. In August 1956, a contract was signed between the Saudi Arabian government and three German companies: Simens and Halske* A. G. of Berlin and Munich* and Tele- phunken of Berlin to build a 50*000 watts medium-wave transmitter in Jiddah. The project was completed and was initiated in a ceremony attended by ex-King Saud* 18 in 1957. In 1951 and 195^ representatives of Saudi radio and the Ministry of Communication (PTT) attended the ITU con ferences held in Geneva and frequencies on medium and short waves were allocated to be used for the Saudi Arabian 19 broadcasting.
Early Development: Programming In a country that had until recently forbidden its people to import musical instruments* one could not find on his radio dial any programming except religious talks and readings.
■iQ "His Majesty Opens the New Station" Oil Caravan. Dhahran* . Saudi Arabia. Vol. 5 #4-* Nov. 1, 1957* ^Report submitted by the committee to the Ministry of Finance* (No. 177^j 17 Shawal 137^). 128
The domestic service during this period had three transmissions daily* broadcasting a total of only seven hours. Each transmission opened with a reading from the Koran* and religious features were heavily emphasized during the day. Other programs included newscasts* stories, 20 poetry and talks on educational subjects. In 1950* one year after the station was established* its General Manager* Mr. Mohammed Shata tried to introduce limited items of music* religious songs and folksongs. As soon as those items were heard* King Ibn Saud was angered and ordered the station to stop all singing* limiting broadcasts to regular religious schedules with a minimum amount of march music (which is performed by the army marching band)* the kind of music that once was opposed by the conservative people. His objection was first based on the reaction he received from the religious leaders and on his opinion that a station operating from Mecca* the Holy City of Islam* should not be a medium to broadcast any material that would conflict with the instructions of Islams.^ It was not until mid 1950's that the station* cautiously and gradually scheduled programs with folk songs and music* all of which were performed by male vocalists from Saudi Arabia or from other Arab countries.
20George Lipsky* "Saudi Arabia", op. cit., p. 1 3 6 . 21 This story was related to this student by Mr. Ibraheem A1 Shora* former Manager of the Station* (Winter 1970). 129
The station was using the call "The Wireless Radio of Saudi Arabia" until it was changed in 1956 to "Broad casting of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" or "This is the Honored Mecca". This last call was used until the early
1 9 6 0 's when the station began carrying a more balanced program with heavier emphasis on music and songs. Then the station adopted the name* "Broadcasting of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jiddah". This was intended to further disassociate the broadcasting of entertainment with the name of the Holy City of Mecca. One typical week was selected for this study* to see the station's program categories. The week from Saturday*
October 6 * 1956 to Friday* October 12* 1956 was chosen omitting any samples of broadcasts concerning feasts* pilgrimages or any programs commemorative of a religious season. The average daily broadcast was found to be seven hours divided into the following transmission periods: Morning From 7:30 a.m. till 9:30 a.m. Afternoon From 2:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. Evening From 8:30 p.m. till 10;00 p.m. Only on Friday was there a supplementary religious period in the afternoon covering live Islamic prayer service emanating from the Holy City of Mecca. The breakdown of the program schedule sample showed: - 12.5# - Reading from the Holy Book* the Koran. 130
- 12,5# - Talk shows - five to ten minutes of speeches delivered by prominent religious, literary, scientific persons and history- writers. 25# - News - including sports, and political commentary. - 25# - Entertainment, including light programs, music, including religious and patriotic songs featured by the Army Marching Band. 5# - Plays, mostly historical. 20# - Cultural programs for children and house wives and science and other educational material.^ The major developments in programming during this early period of radio broadcasting in Saudi Arabia, can be summarized as follows: 1 - The external service, or the Oriental Languages as it was officially called, started with two languages, Urdo, directed to listeners in Pakistan and India and Indonesian, directed to Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia. The two programs began in 19^9* few months after the Arabic program was established. Each was extended from 15 minutes
22percentages are approximate because of a clear overlapping between programs. 131 to 60 minutes in 1 9 5 7 * ^ 2 - In 1958.> the General Directorate of Broad casting* Press and Publication (GDBPP) established its first library to serve the needs of broadcasters. The library included books of a variety of dictionaries, encyclopedias, periodicals and other references.
3 - In November 1955> the GDBPP published the first issue of its magazine A1 Etha'ah (Broadcasting), a monthly magazine included the programming schedule of the general Arabic, Urdo and Indonesian programs replacing a. monthly small-size periodical which had published only the program schedules.
4 - The Saudi Arabian radio recruited a number of the best scholars from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world to contribute their talks on Arabic and Islamic history and literature on daily programming.
Twelve years in the history of the Saudi Arabian Radio, with shaky administration, poor programs and too weak transmission signal to leap over the high H.ijazi Mountains, to the other parts of the country. Twelve years have so far gone (1949-1980) with
^information on these two programs were provided by Mr. Abbas Shata, the G. Mgr. of the Oriental Languages Division. The external services includes new separate programs in English, French, Persian, Swaheely, in addition to Urdo and Indonesian. 132
"creeping" stations heard only in the western province of Saudi Arabia. The rest of the country was, instead, being blanketed by other more clear channels of the neighboring Arab capitalsj Cairo, Amman, Kuwait and Baghdad. Trying to listen to the Saudi broadcasting in the other provinces of Saudi Arabia was, even with the 50 KW medium wave, like trying to get in the U.S. any dying voice of a distant country on shortwave. The family would applaud to their member who could set the radio dial right on the frequency, clear of static or interferences. Someone might pause here to ask, whether it was worthwhile to spend half a million dollars every year to 24 operate this small, and ineffective radio station? For this student, yes it was. Because this station, though "insignificant" had signaled a beginning and sur vived the floods of criticism and opposition of the religious people, who would have silenced it had it not been established and supported by the government itself. In Saudi Arabia, or in any such conservative society it has been the case for any such innovation to receive objection. It is normally a period of many years before that innovation could be adopted and accepted by opposing groups. This is not to say that radio did not penetrate
24 A half million dollars was the average amount budgeted for the station. This figure was exactly the broadcasting budget in the fiscal year 1957 -1 9 5 8. (2 million Saudi Riyals). 133 in Saudi Arabia to become a household utility. Rather, Saudi Arabian family rich or poor* in the city or in the village, settled or nomadic, have enthusiastically adopted radio, and found in it a medium for entertainment, educa tion, information, and companionship and a means of over coming social and geographical isolation. Unfortunately, quantitative research in broadcasting has never been done in Saudi Arabia. All figures on numbers of receivers and evaluation of audience effect that might appear scatteredly in statistical books are not based on scientific surveys. Radio in Saudi Arabia, like any other communication media was, during its development "linked inextricably to 25 complex and changing cultural constraints". The Saudi society with its political and religious traits had a pro found influence upon the broadcasting medium. In fact, radio in Saudi Arabia had, in this period, to overcome conservative restrictions which many people thought to be proper and healthy but many others, especially young people, thought to be negative, backward and old- fashioned. Radio Mecca, as it was formerly called, could not compete with other giant radio stations in the Arab countries.
^M. Defleur, Theories of Mass Communication. (David McKay Co., N.Y., Second Edition iy/0, p. (\>> 13^
The station had not even been able to gain a reasonable size of a local audience because of its weak signal and its poor programming. Young people, disenchanted with the heavy emphasis on religious programs, kept grumbling, criticizing and asking for "spiced” programs and better 26 signal coverage. Politically, radio was owned, by the government and was operated by government employees. It was the official voice of the government. It was chiefly a means to promote unity, and continuity in the system. Consequently, it was not expected, of course, to criticize or denounce the political system or rulers or to attempt to unseat the authorities. This does not mean that radio has never carried critical views against certain bureaucratic mistakes or any governmental or public agencies that failed to lift grievances raised by the public. Socially, the broadcast fare or product reflected pretty much the level of those who opera,ted the station and most of the people who listened to the programs. In a country where there was a high rate of illiteracy at that time and a low level of education, where there was no radio and television training schools, one could hardly expect to have the highest standard of performance and
26 ~ - See for example A1 Manhal special issue about radio (November 1951) p. 89ff and lo4ff. See also A1 Ra'ed, Vol. 50 Dated February 16, 1 9 6 1. 135 intellectual appeal. For this reason, radio management had to resort to other Arab countries to hire more qualified broadcasters. Radio also sent a number of Saudi announcers to the Broadcasting Institute in Cairo to get one or two years of training in announcing, production, and broadcast management. By the end of 1950's, the station was able to form a good announcing staff most of whom were Saudi Arabs. After 12 years of infancy, the station was ready to attempt a new level of growth. The year i960 marked the beginning of a new broadcasting era in Saudi Arabia. CHAPTER VIII
PRESENT RADIO BROADCASTING (1960-1971) While American history indicates that American radio flowered during the 1930's and the 1940's, in Saudi Arabia^ history suggests that the "golden age" of radio in that country was during the five-year period of I96O-I9 6 5 .
During the first five years of the 1 9 6 0's, radio had captured the attention of the Saudi family in all parts of Saudi Arabia. While it was blooming in all technical, administrative, and programming dimensions, and trying to give to listeners what they had been deprived of in early years, in 1965 a new and more effective medium, television, appeared on the scene in the major cities, taking much of radio's talents, diverting much of radio's audience to television viewing during the evening hours.
The year i960 has been chosen in this study as the year in which radio was moving from its early development to a more mature and progressive phase. What were the factors underlying this development? In 1961, two major political events took places first, was the transition of power from King Saud to his brother, present King Faisal, the latter being a 137 more serious, thrifty, systematic, and industrious person. It started with his appointment as a Prime Minister in
19^1. Then in 1964 he was charged by the Royal family, Ministers and religious leaders with authority over all internal and external affairs of the country.
Second, in January 1961, Mr. Jamil Hojailan was appointed as Director-General for the then General Directorate of Broadcasting, Press and Publication and then he was appointed in 1962 as the Minister of Information. (In 1970, he became Minister of Health). King Faisal's stable reign and his wise use of the medium, coupled with Mr. Hojailan's dynamic administration of the Ministry brought about the most creative, and active period in the field of information media in the history of Saudi Arabia. It should be stressed that the mention of develop ment of radio in this period is not to be compared with the Improvement of radio broadcasting in the West nor should it be measured with the American standard of performance. It merely means that the growth that took place in Saudi radio in the 1 9 6 0's was praiseworthy when compared with the early history of radio and as judged in a contemporary cultural context. An important point to be considered is that the two political developments, King Faisal's inauguration 138 and Mr. Hojailan's appointment, were important factors in the improvement, but one should not overlook other social, educational and economic factors that facilitated this broadcasting growth. Already mentioned in the preceding chapter was that the early period of radio (1949-1980) had built the foun dation on which the present system had expanded. It had established the formula of government ownership in much the same way as public utilities such as telephone, telegraph, transportation, etc. It should be reiterated that broadcasting fees and set registration are not required, the government finances all radio activities, and does not permit any advertising. In the same period (1949-1980) there developed what could be now called the Saudi System of.Broadcasting, which made government the owner and the public trustee of the media. This conception of government ownership was not exceptional in that part of the world. There had never been— to this student's knowledge— a moment when the Council of Ministers confronted the question: Should we have a broad casting system financed by a private support? Rather, it was considered out of the question to ask or to think of a broadcasting system in the turbulent Middle East not to be sponsored and owned by the government.
Early in the 1 9 8 0's, a number of Saudi broadcasters 139 were sent to the Broadcasting Institute in Cairo to take further training. This group returned to take executive positions in broadcasting. During the late fifties and early sixties, academic institutions in the country were providing different curricula in engineering, art, science, social studies and literature, i making available more qualified personnel, some of whom were hired by radio to lead the way for the next change. First, in development, the Arabic daily schedule was increased from seven hours in 1 9 5 0's to about seventeen hours in the 1 9 6 0's, with a more balanced, diversified programming categories, with news, religion, sports, public service, entertainment and specialized programs for women, children, farmers, students, army, laborers, etc. For the first time, Saudi women presented programs. Song, by women vocalists, were introduced for the first time. Lady singers such as the famous Egyptian talent Umm Kalthoom, singing pathetic love songs and the Lebanese gifted voice of Fairooz were enjoyed by thousands of Saudi families. In 19^4, for the first time, a new radio station was established in Riyadh, broadcasting seventeen hours a day in Arabic. In May, 19^2, a heavily emphasized religious program featuring Islamic history, literature and religious 140 instructions was operated for about ninety minutes a day. This religious program, Sa.wt Al-Islam (Voice of Islam), was designed to bring more balance with other entertainment features that started to dominate the regular program in other stations. Although Sawt Al-Islam is broadcasting from Jiddah, fifty miles from the Holy City, Mecca, announcers pretend that the program is operating from Mecca by using the call phrase "This is The Voice of Islam from the Honored Mecca." The idea behind this is to have people associate the religious material with the city of Mecca while other programs which are mixed with entertainment are broadcast from Jiddah and Riyadh. This has helped to decrease the criticism formerly directed against the Ministry of Infor mation for permitting non-serious programming to originate from a holy area. Second, in the external service, two English programs were started, one from Jiddah in 19^5 and another from
Riyadh in 1 9 6 8. Those two separate programs, broadcasting six hours each, daily, were designed for the English-speaking i people in Saudi Arabia and abroad.
On August 16, 1965t a new program in French was
1 Dates here are taken from the script of a documentary program telecast in 1970 on Saudi Arabian Television, written by Mr. Mohiy Al Deen Al Gabsy, and provided this study by Mr. Mohammed Darrab, a member of the TV management. l4l established in Jiddah and Riyadh* airing about five hours each day* providing music* news and a variety of program material. In addition to the two programs in Oriental languages, Urdo and Indonesian which started operation since 19^9 .» two other languages were added. Programs in Persian* directed to the neighboring Iran* and Swaheely* directed to African areas* were started in Jiddah on
August 16 * 1 9 6 5. This expansion in programming was accompanied with major technical accomplishments* with improved programs and managerial leadership. These improvements made it possible to broadcast the same program* with the same speaker* the same comedian or singer* to be heard through out the country with the use of transmitters network which was installed to provide coverage in all sections of Saudi Arabia; whereas formerly* only people on the western coast* Al-Hijaz* could pick up the program. As radio was overcoming its sluggish growth and making advances inthe art in the 1 9 6 0 's* the new force of television moved in the arena of mass media* and sparred vigorously to achieve supremacy. As was the case of American radio in post war years* Saudi Arabian radio* attempting to meet the new needs and problems of the 1960's was having set backs as television 2 became readily available.
^M.Defleur* Theories of Mass Communication* op. clt. p.68. 142
Radio in Saudi Arabia, however, has been more for tunate in this respect than has been American radio. Television broadcasts only a part of the evening hours leaving the rest of the day to radio broadcasting which had finally achieved some stability and influence in the country. A disadvantage for radio, however, was the attraction to television of technicians, critics and mana gerial personnel. Despite that television took few evening hours from radio, the lure of the new medium resulted in a serious loss of talent in radio broadcasting. The Ministry of Information which recruited separate technicians and engineers for the new growing television project was having budget problems, especially following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. A large portion of the national budget was appropriated as an annual contribution to be sent to Egypt and Jordan. In order to expand the television industry, the Ministry modified its all-over plan for expenditures and gave television the lion's share of its total budget, leaving radio in the financial lurch. Furthermore, radio in Saudi Arabia faced other problems after 19^5. First, television which was started in 1965* occupied the center of discussion and debates in the press and because there was great public interest in the novalty of television, the Ministry gave more attention to the new medium and neglected radio. 143
Second, with the start of television, the Ministry had to turn to radio looking for management, announcing and programming personnel, causing radio to loose part of its most outstanding people. Third, in 1966, the Director-General of Radio and Television, Mr. Abbas Gazzowi, who was an outstanding manager of radio and television during the early 1 9 6 0's, resigned his Job for personal and health reasons, choosing to transfer to a new post in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Radio and television not only lost his effective leadership, but as recently, the position of Director- General was not filled, and all broadcasting suffered from lack of direction. The story of radio development during the last
decade (1960-1 9 7 1 ) reflect this diagram which shows more or less the typical growth pattern, followed by most radio industries in the world after the rise of television. As pointed out previously, Saudi Arabian radio grew rapidly during the first five years of
the 1 9 6 0's reaching a peak, in terms of prevailing social and economic conditions at that time in the country. Since
1 9 6 5j the medium has suffered a noticable decline. Even further improvements in transmission and other facilities have not slowed this downward trend, due to factors and 144
3 causes as have "been discussed above. As television has expanded* radio has been displaced
in the living room, and in a sense has had to be content with the bedroom, the kitchen and the automobile. Thanks to the transistor technology and miniature sets, this radio
decline has not been as marked as it might have been other wise. If American and European radio, affected by tele vision growth in the 1950's and 1960's and have found a workable formula to compensate for radio decline, Saudi Arabian radio has not yet attempted to do so. Evening
radio programs that were scheduled before 19^5 * for the most part, are still using the same format on medium and short wave to reach remote areas outside the television coverage in Saudi Arabia and abroad. As stated above, the effect of television growth in Saudi Arabia, not only incroached on radio's time for evening broadcast, even significant radio has been sadly affected by budget, personnel, talent and technical oper ations and growth.
Since its creation in 1962, the Ministry of
^This analysis is based on this student's personal experience. Having been a radio announcer in 1963, assistant program manager in radio in 1964 and 1965 and then TV program manager in 1965-1 9 67 , gave him a chance to observe this development. 1^5
Information has planned carefully the technical* pro- • gramming and administrative functions of radio and tele vision. This is including measures taken to improve radio* before 1965 together with the establishment of television in 1 9 6 5• Since that time* the Ministry's hopes and plans have exceeded its materialistic resources. This mistake* not yet realized* included the establishment of such projects as the second English radio program in
Riyadh in 1967 and the five TV stations consecutively built between 1967 and 1 9 6 9. This Ministry's ambitions have also surpassed the training programs and have gone beyond the country's material and educational limited resources. The Ministry has had to depend largely upon outside Saudi Arabia to hire talent* particularly announcers, technicians and electronic engineers* to do even an adequate job of broadcasting and to make plans for the future.
Present Technical Facilities
In 1 9 6 2* when the General Directorate of Broadcasting* Press and Publication was transferred into a full-fledged
Ministry of Information, a 50 KW* an old 2.5 and 10 KW transmitters were being used to carry the broadcast signal.
But on December 15, 19^j a huge transmitting complex was put into operation 29 miles South-east of Jiddah. These 146 new facilities included two 50 KW short wave and two 100 and 50 KW medium wave transmitters.^ Next, the Ministry of Information built the radio transmission facility in Riyadh, which was completed in June, 19^7* This project consisted of two 600 KW medium wave transmitters making a total power of 1200 KW. The powerful plant, installed in twenty-one months, a few miles on the outskirts of Riyadh, cost three million dollars (15 million Saudi Riyals). The first facility was built in Jiddah in the western part of the country. The second was erected in Riyadh in the center of the country. A third 100 KW medium wave station was constructed in Dammam in the East, on June 5* 1967* with power enough to cover £ the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) area. Two other one KW stations (PM and AM medium wave) and a third station (50 KW short wave transmission) were built at different times during the 1960's in Riyadh to carry the local programs during the day.
Plans are underway in Riyadh, at the time of this
4 An interview with Mr. J. Hojailan, the then Minister of Information, Al Yamamah Magazine (March 1 9 6 8) p. 16. Those four transmitters referred to here were part of a project planned in 1957* They arrived and remained unbuilt because of the unstable administration in the GDBPP. 5Ibid. 6 Ibid. 147 writing, August 19719 to build four new 350 KW shortwave transmitters. This vast system with several directional antennas will make it possible to cover virtually all parts of the globe. Construction is expected to be finished 7 early in 19 72 , with a total cost of 15 million dollars. Also, it is planned to build a transmitter with a directional antenna to link the programs between the two stations of 8 Jiddah and Riyadh, if a direct connection is required. Another plan is now being studied to install two 300 KW transmitters on medium wave in Jiddah and Dammam. This is to be done as precautionary measure in the event that any of the single medium wave transmitters in Dammam and 9 Jiddah should break down. A small project of one KW on medium wave is contem plated for Jizan in the Southern part of Saudi Arabia in x ^ 1 0 the next few years. In Studio Facilities, and headquarters, the major development in this respect have been two buildings. The first is a fifteen story building and adjacent studios
7 Contract was awarded to a joint company of the French Huston-Tompkon and the German Telefunken on 23 May, 1968 Almadina No. 1266, Vol. 5 (May 24, 1 9 6 8). p. 8 . Q °A report prepared for this study by Mr. Mohammed Shamma, Manager of Project.
9 Ibid. 10Ibid. 14 8 for the Ministry and radio broadcasting at Jiddah. This project was completed in 1966 with a cost of twenty-two million Saudi Riyals (about $5 million). A similar project housing a radio studio facility in Riyadh is to be completed toward the end of 1971 at a cost of about fifteen million Saudi Riyals (about $3*5 million).^
Present Administrative and Financial System
As previously indicated, since 1 9 62, the radio broadcasting in Saudi Arabia has been a division of the Ministry of Information and headed by a director-general. However, the functions of technical planning and super vision are carried on by another division of the Ministry called "Department of Technical Affairs." The Director-General of,Radio Broadcasting, who reports to one of the two Deputy Ministers, and to the Minister himself, is in charge of all programming, adminis trative and technical activities in radio broadcasting in the Kingdom. His office is centered in the Ministry headquarters at Riyadh. The following chart (on next page) provides a picture of the organizational structure of Saudi Arabian radio. It shows a skeletal arrangement of the systems which exist now at Riyadh and Jiddah..
i:LIbid, T “ "■T^Lini 149 MaaM
A Typical Administrative Structure of a Radio Station
The Minister of Information
Deputy Minister
Director-General of Radio Broadcasting
Program Acquisition Station Manager Secretariate and Program Rights
Secretariate News and Program Manager Rights Technical Dept. External Studio, Recordings Services O.B. Van, Maintenance
Recording Continuity Library Talk Directors Shows Announcers)
Musical Variety Band Programs Traffic 150
The ratio of Saudi employees in radio to other "foreign” employees, is estimated "by the Ministry officials 12 to he about 80 percent. In this same report, the Ministry of Information indicated that the most vexing problems confronting the Ministry in this area are twofold. First: the level of the Saudi technical staff employed now is generally below the proper desirable standard, and that the Ministry is in great need of more qualified technical specialists in both radio and television. Second: the number of Saudi graduates of technical schools and universities is gen erally less than the number needed by both government * and private companies. This obligates the Ministry to search for the qualified engineers from other countries. The Ministry maintains that solution to overcome those personnel problems is by: 1) Establishing a technical institute, specialized in this area of communication. 2) Arranging with the Ministry of Education to 1*3 increase a larger number of students to study abroad. J
In 1970) the Ministry of Communication (PTT) and the Ministry of Information agreed Jointly to establish
■^The report of the Ministry of Information to the Supreme Planning Board written in 19^9* A copy of this document has been provided for to this study by the Ministry. 151 a "Technical Institute for the Studies of Telecommunication." The statement did not describe precisely the level and nature of this institute* but it apparently stated the general principles to be applied in this joint undertaking. The program will start in the near future and will be supervised by the U.N. Department of Technical Cooperation. The idea of this institute has been considered by many officials before. In the 1950's a temporary program was established in Jiddah to train technicians in the field of radio recording* and broadcast transmission.
In 1 9 66* a more elaborate study was proposed by Mr. Abbas Gazzawi* then General Director of Radio and TV Broadcasting for the establishment of "A Radio and Tele vision School*" consisting of one* two and three year courses of training in the field of engineering* programming and production. The idea was not adopted by the Ministry due largely to financial considerations* and the need to study the proposal with other concerned government agencies. Budget allocations for radio broadcasting increased very quickly during the last decade. In 1957* about a half million dollars was spent on radio broadcasting service. This represented about one-third of one percent of the government budget of 310 million dollars. By fiscal year
1 9 6 6 -1 9 6 7 the allocation for radio amount to (28*734,000
Saudi Riyals)* about six million dollars. In 1 9 67 -1 9 6 8* it 152 was tripled to (72*200,000 Saudi Riyals), or about sixteen million dollars due to the technical expansion planned for that year and mentioned earlier. In 1968-1969, the total radio budget was reduced to (50,000,000 Saudi Riyals), 1 it about 11 million dollars. "One will appreciate the importance placed by the government on expanding the information media by also analyzing future development plans. Sixth in importance among the fourteen stated purposes of the Saudi Arabian five- year plan from 1970-1971 to 197^-1975, according to a small pamphlet published by the Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. is to extend local broadcast coverage throughout the 15 Kingdom." Since radio broadcasting depends for its finances on government appropriations, all radio and television employees are subject to the Civil Service Act. Strike activities and unions are taboo in the country.
Present Programming The Arabic Language programs geared for Saudi and other Arab audiences in the Middle East, usually devote about eighteen hours of broadcasting on the Jiddah radio stations and about the same on the Riyadh station. Both
14 Ibid. •^Hassan Husseini, in a term paper and submitted May 1971. to Dr. Steis, O.S.U. Speech Department. 153
programs are broadcast from about six a.m. to about two a.m. the following morning. Their schedules may be changed or extended during the annual religious seasons of the month of Ramadan and the month of Hajj (Pilgrimage). In Ramadan* for example* when the faithfuls fast from dawn to sunset* morning broadcasts are moved from seven to about nine or ten because most people oversleep. During this period*
lasting 30 days* programs are broadcast until dawn (about 5 a.m.)* and heavier stress is placed on religious programs during the day time* and entertainment during the evening hours. Similar arrangements are usually planned for the month of pilgrimage. Other than these two changes that occur in programming during the two months of Ramadan and pilgrimage* programs follow regular schedules on a three months basis. New programs* cancellations* or other amend ments usually are decided during a Joint meeting with the Ministry of Information one or two months before the start of the new programming season (cycle as it is called in Saudi Arabia). The two main Arabic programs* although produced separately at their respective stations in Riyadh and Jiddah, are usually exchanged. About 25 percent of the program schedule at each station is produced by the other. Tapes are sent by air freight to the other station to be scheduled soon after being received. The programs 154 exchanged consist of those relating to political material and intertainment programs which entail considerable expenses. Song, talks and recordings of the Koran are exchanged immediately after being recorded. They are retained at each station to be used if needed in the future. With some overlapping* a typical week of programs of both stations shows the following approximate percentage of broadcast time alloted to different types of programs
(May 26 to June 2* 1 9 7 1 ). 10 percent reading from the Holy Koran
10 percent other pure religious material in the form of discussion* talks* sayings of prophet Mohammed* etc.
20 percent news* including sports* commentary and political editorials or docu mentaries .
25 percent entertainment* songs by local and foreign Arab singers and musicians with humor, light entertainment.
30 percent educational materials for housewives* students* small children; with quizzes* and other cultural items.
5 percent talk shows* treating historical* literary political and social topics. Radio programs in Saudi Arabia* as in other Arabian countries are elaborately structured and executed. They are not left to the discretion of the disk Jockeys. Records of musical numbers are scheduled by the Traffic Department (translated in Arabic as Coordination Department). Any program schedule 155 or change is subject to the approval of the Program Man ager . Other characteristics of the program on radio should be noted: It has been the tradition for all Saudi Arabian radio stations to open with a flute solo, the musical rhythm for the prayer call, lasting about four minutes, then follows the National Anthem of Saudi Arabia. Every transmission period usually begins and ends with ten to twenty minute reading from the Holy Koran. Other readings from the. Koran or sayings of Prophet Mohammed are scheduled three times a day, at times when people are gathering in mosques for prayers. Programs are pre-recorded and nothing is presented live except news. Music and songs are usually scheduled in five to thirty minute blocks between two separate pro grams. A song usually is not re-scheduled until at least three days after the last time it is aired, making it impossible for any song to become overexposed. This ex plains why old records occupy a large portion of the daily broadcast. Programs are usually scheduled on the hour, quarter, half hour or three quarters of the hour. If the program runs one or two minutes short of alloted time, it is the 156 duty of the continuity announcer to use "reserve music" provided and assigned daily by the Traffic Department. Radio presentations - talks, introducing music, reading the news, etc., are expected to be given in a serious, decent and sedate language. Because the stations are broadcasting from a leading Islamic country, because the stations represent the official voice of the government, and since there are considerable differences in dialects spoken in the different Arab countries, all broadcasters employ standard modern Arabic. This language, which is a compromise as between the dialects and classical Arabic, is used in the Arab press as well as all radio stations. At present, dialect is used only in plays or programs dealing with modern life or children programs. The Arab stations do not broadcast in colloquial languages because they have no definitely accepted grammar and are not official lanauges of clearly defined areas. It is difficult to communicate with various indigenous groups having a multiplicity of dialects. Despite this problem of dialects, broadcasting is attempting to promote the use of standard Arabic language, This universal use of the standard Arabic language is a remarkable tribute to its vitality. Its use throughout the Arab world must itself have greatly been promoted by the broadcast. People rapidly learn to understand the standard language even if not to speak it. 16
1 ^ Nevill Barbour, "Broadcasting to the Arab World" The Middle East Journal (Vol. V, 1951)> p. 57. 157
Because radio programs are so structured, the time of day is usually announced on the hour or half hour or before or after a program has been presented. Most of the stations use clock-strikes indicating the hour, followed by an announcement of the time, similar to the practice followed by the BBC and its striking of the Big Ben bell. There are very few weather reports, since there is little change in temperature in the coverage area of domestic stations in Saudi Arabia. Finally, while there are many radio stations identified with their special formats in the United States, such as all-talk, all-news, or with specialized musical formats, such as Middle-of-the-road or say Country-Western, radio stations in the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia try to cater to varied tastes and interests of listeners. For example, a station may present a varied schedule of pro grams: light music, a play, a political broadcast, folk songs, religious material, etc. When scheduling any material, the time of the day and type of listeners are carefully noted. The only type of specialized stations in Saudi Arabia is Sawt Al-Islam (Voice of Islam) which features religious programs at all times. Other than the news, which is the responsibility of the news director, all programs, imported or produced locally, are censored by the program manager of the station. 158
The final character of the broadcast material is determined*
to a large extent* by the program managers* and when things go wrong they must take responsibility. Program managers and news directors suffer from the fact that policies and standards often are not made clear. Although there is no specific written guideline and instruc tion for positive action* generally speaking* but there are numerous restrictions and taboos. For example* radio stations are not allowed to broadcast programs which may disturb the public peace* or offend existing laws or well- established customs and mores. Because of religious mores and standards* stories encouraging "indecent" sex* drinking* smoking* etc.* are strictly prohibited. Politically* any programs that might be considered "soft" on or favorable to communism* socialism* racism* Zionism* are also avoided. However* ideologies of friendly countries are promoted. Also* persons are never denigrated* or excessively praised. Mr. Hassan Husseini who worked in the English service of the Saudi Arabian broadcasting has described how the public interest is being met in radio programs: Program producers and directors believe that the cause of Islam and the welfare of the country are best served in promoting education* moderniza tion and development. This public service approach is infused into all programs* including entertain ment. A quiz program may promote the learning of 159
geography, history, science, literature, or other fields of education...Comedians ridicule undesirable character, traits such as avarice, selfishness, maliciousness and gossiping...Children's programs promote curiosity, good manners, desire to learn respect for one's elders, and discipline... Songs convey high moral views of love of the country, parent, family friend or knowledge... Spot announce ments promote patriotism by joining military academies, education by joining schools or specialized institues, citizenship by joining the scouts or other service groups and morality by the reading of religious or other sage sayings. 17 He further states: Prominent, well educated and well travelled religious personalities have been given ample time on radio and television to explain religious teachings in modern terms, to answer questions posed by the public and to debate controversial religious issues in public. 18
The Programming Department The Program Department at both stations in Riyadh and Jiddah makes decisions concerning programming in all areas and determines the finished products. The head of the department, usually called the Program Manager, is the executive who assumes the most active role in day-to-day actions and is responsible to see that all policies of the Ministry of Information are complied with. The organization of the program department in these two stations is not too different from stations generally
in the United States except, of course, there is no sales
17 'Hassan Husseini, op. cit. l8Ibid. 160
staff since Saudi Arabian stations do not advertise. The Program Departments consist of the following units: Coordination (similar to the Traffic Department in the U.S.), Variety Programs, Talk Shows, All-Seasons Programs, Continuity, Musical Band, Recordings and Library,
Program Directing and Production. The News and the Technical Departments are usually supervised directly by the station manager.
External Broadcast Services Saudi Arabian radio stations broadcast in six foreign
languages: English, French, Persian, Swahili, Urdo, and Indonesian. Time of programs range from four to six hours daily, except in the English and French programs, with separate transmission, six hours are broadcast from stations in Riyadh and Jiddah. The External services include news and commentary, and emphasize religious affairs and music. They serve to promote the cause of Islam in the Arab world, Africa and Asia. They also serve to entertain and inform the sizeable foreign language groups who live and work in Saudi Arabia. Also, because Saudi Arabia is visited annually by about a million of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world, programs are especially designed to help these pilgrims IQ and make their visits more pleasant and profitable, ^
19Ibid. 161
Organizationally, those services are divided into two different departments. 1) Department of Oriental Languages, which includes the Urdo and Indonesian (started in 19^9), Swahili and Persian (19^5)• Those are religiously-oriented programs serving large Islamic populations in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, East and Central Africa, Iran and Afghanistan and the natives of those countries who live in Saudi Arabia. 2) Department of European Languages, including English and French. These programs put more emphasis on entertainment and information for countries speaking English and French and for those living in Saudi Arabia.
News Programs There are usually fifteen minute news editions containing from ten to twenty news items. There are also about four five-minute news round-ups. The division is about equal among local, Arab-Muslim and other inter national news. Despite many changes which has occurred In many areas of programming, radio news has remained very much the same and the old characteristics in editing and scheduling are still about the same.
Unlike radio broadcasting in the United States, radio news in the Arabian system of broadcasting does not lean toward short news and headlines or to specialized news for sports and weather. 162
The traditional news editions dominated by political contents are established for many years on precise-easy- to-remember hours or half the hour. The news is usually introduced with six or seven items of headlines followed
by details. A musical theme is used to begin and end the news. As with all other programs, news items are delivered in a formal way without any jingle or sound effects in the background. Live on-the-spot reports or taped voices are not employed. Announcers take shifts in presenting the news, and one announcer is not scheduled for more than one news edition a datekeeping in line with the established policy of changing voices to attract and maintain audience by avoiding bordom with one single voice. If one news edition is more than fifteen minutes, involving some important events, two newscasters participate in a way similar to the Brinkly-Chancellor show on NBC-TV or the Smith-Reasoner show on ABC-TV. Reports on political happenings constitute a heavy component of the news. Attention is also given to important sports events, government actions or national disasters or other matters of great public interest. There is no coverage of deaths, killings, assaults, robberies, burglaries, scandal, or other crimes or behavior as is the 163 case within the West. This may he due to the low incir dences of crime and because of the traditional view that these kinds of behavior are not considered appropriate items for radio reportings and that* with limited hours for broadcasting, it is better, in the public interest to devote broadcast time to important political, economic, industrial and social matters of national significance. It is this pattern followed by most stations in the Middle East. News on radio has three sources: 1) Local and national news provided by the newly 20 established Saudi News Agency. 2) The two "Political Monitoring Services" of the Saudi Arabian Broadcasting in Riyadh and Jiddah. These two centers are efficiently equipped with powerful radio and recording equipment. There are about fifteen employees in each center, to tape the news around the clock, supplying the Ministry and other government officials with up-to-date news developments. 3) The Saudi Arabian Broadcasting in Riyadh and Jiddah subscribe to three agencies: United Press Inter national (U.P.I.) which provides the news to its customers for twenty-three hours a day: The Associated Press (AP)
20 This Saudi News Agency was created on January 23, 1971 (25 Thul-quedah 139°) starting its activities with the coverage of the pilgrimage season of 1390 A.H. A1 Yamamah (January 22, 1971)j p. 4. 164 with wire reports of international news twenty hours a day: and Reuters, which provides news for twenty hours a day, with five hours and fifteen minutes of news in Arabic. Each of the three agencies provide a fifty-five minute news report six times a day.
Saudi Radio stations pay about $3 ,7 6 5 a month for those three services. ($1,500 for UPI, $1,000 for AP, and $1,265 for Reuters, including its service in Arabic). Sixty percent of the material received from Reuters is used in the news operations, while only forty percent is used from AP and thirty-five from UPI. It has been found that the ratio of international news relating to the Middle East and the Arab countries used by those stations is about thirty percent from Reuters, twenty per cent from UPI, thirty percent from AP, and about sixty percent of Reuter's product in its Arabic service. The Saudi Arabian radio has subscribed to these three agencies since 1956. It started receiving the Reuters' service in Arabic in I9 6 5 .21 After the news service is received over the teletype equipment, it is delivered to the Interpretation Office which works about twenty hours a day. Then it is given to the news editors who decide upon its suitability.
21 The preceding figures are based on a letter from Mr. Poa'ed A1 Alami, a member of the Saudi Arabian broad casting staff, written to this student the winter of 1 9 7 0 . 165
Although Saudi "broadcasting has maintained strong news department including typists, editors, interpreters, monitoring staff and subscription to the news agencies, the news handling and editing needs further improvement.
News of very important happenings, which must be approved by high Ministry officials before they are reported, causes delay, and the stations lose the image of immed iacy, so essential to any successful broadcast operation. Documentary programs, although produced on a large scale for informational purposes, need to deal more with controversial issues of local and national concern. The newly established Saudi News Agency has plans to fill the gap created by the shortage of local news avail able for radio and television stations in the country. Mr. Aziz Dhia'a who is one of the outstanding Saudi broadcasters and has participated as a writer and pro ducer since the beginning of the country's broadcasting, provides his views about the news department: Prom my own point of view, radio news in Saudi Arabia, is suffering from lack of meaningful local news. Perhaps the reason is the lack of press conferences and the absence of debates and dis cussion. .. the number of qualified news editors staff ought to be given greater attention. News, as is well known, is the vertebtral column of any station in the world. 22
22Mr. Aziz Dhia'a was interviewed by this student during the winter of 1 9 7 0 . 166
Radio Development Summarized Radio broadcasting in Saudi Arabia, like the press, and television, has been undergoing a continuous process of change. During its early years, the late forties and early fifties, there was the 2,5 KW transmitter unable to cross the Hijazi mountains. Then there was the more .
developed stage in the 1 9 5 0’s an<* early 1 9 6 0's, when responsible government and broadcasting officials realized the serious role of radio and its far reaching impact upon the masses. This was the time when new transmitters were built to span the country's vast geographical area. Then,
finally, came the 1 9 6 0's when the country's voice began to be heard in the Middle East area, Europe and in % African countries. It was the decade of high buildings, giant transmitters of 1200 KW of power, of medium wave, and high-powered shortwave transmissions. It was the decade when the women's voice could be broadcast, when the feminine voice could be projected on the air as singers, as announcers, and ondiscussions expressing ideas relating to society. It is safe to say that had it not been for such men as Jamil Hojailan, the Minister of Information (1962-1970) and Mr. Abbas Gazzawi, the Director-General of Radio and
Television (1962-1 9 6 6) and other responsible people in the country who were aware of problems and conditions of 167 radio's utility for social growth, such broadcasting growth would not have been made. Traditional customs still constitute a biggest obstacle in the way of further modernization. Technical, artistic and educational standards are still compari- tively low. Religious and conservative restrictions are still a barrier, to some extent, to the attainment of effective broadcasting in the public interest. Semantic, has become and still becomes a problem. For example, if the equivalent Arabic words "being drunk" or "drunkness" are used in a song the whole section of the song may have to be deleted, or broadcasters will feel the wrath of a mass of listeners. This restriction against the literal use of words even though the meaning was not intended, has caused the management to cast aside piles of tapes and albums of records to avoid possibility of offending the conservative segment of the population. Programming personnel often agonize. A sentence or a word that might have harmful connotations must be carefully examined and scrutinized. This has the obvious result of hampering the programming creativity. Furthermore, politically, radio broadcasting lacks a crystal, clear informational policy which represents the government viewpoints regarding domestic and foreign 168 matters. Guidelines become blurred. An important inter national happening often cannot be reported until a high ranking official has expressed his Interpretation of the government policy. In most cases, programming people are not involved in policy making, and are not informed as to views of the government regarding political development, and can be frustrated in reporting the news. Lost is the value of immediacy in reporting the news, and the advantage of reflecting the government views and keeping pace with international and foreign developments. These are only a few examples of how the developments of broadcast medium are "dependent not only upon the characteristics of the medium Itself, but upon the salient norms and values of the socio-cultural system with which it operates."^ Cultural traits of society affect, influence and shape the structure of the media. The history of Saudi Arabian broadcasting, as herein set forth and the evolu tion of social changes must be understood before the present status of radio can be further explained and evaluated. The broadcast medium has been a force in shaping and molding Saudi society. At the same time, changing social conditions had a reciprocal effect of radio. The
po M. Defleur, op. clt. 169 sense of national unity and identity, dissolution of regional dialects and the public participation in national affairs have been mostly the work of broadcasting as a mediating factor. Further research on those and other effects of the broadcast media upon the social systems need to be done. PART FOUR TELEVISION BROADCASTING 1 INTRODUCTION The development of radio and television with satel lite technology constitutes the most remarkable achievement in human communication since the invention of movable type. It is surely true that few people in this century fail to observe how television has succeeded in permeating the everyday life of people, changing social habits, creating new ones, affecting tastes, and providing the individual at home with a world wide view of the world. The power of television to direct public attention has been proved and demonstrated dramatically in the countries using this medium.
In 1963, in general, society in Saudi Arabia was psychologically prepared to accept the television medium. People were eagerly looking for a new means of recreation and entertainment that could be used without conflicts which would run counter to ideas and feelings of the con servative community. People, especially women and child ren were willing to see what was going on in the world and emerge from a social isolation. Although the government had launched its television
^Most of this part about television is based on this student's MA. thesis, Saudi Arabian Television, U. Of Kansas, 1 9 6 9, unless otherwise indicated. The information has. been entirely revised and updated for this dissertation.
170 171 project on a large scale in 19^5 ^ this did not '’signal the dawn" of the medium in the Kingdom. "in September,
19573 the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) began a TV service for its 9*000 employees in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Before that time, the U.S. Air Force Base in Dhahran also had its own English language TV service, begun on p June 17, 1955 for base personnel." These two services however will be examined separately in the Fifth Part of this study. It is also interesting here to mention that in 19^5* a proposal was submitted to the King suggesting the use of television for girls1 education. It further recommended that girls take their examination through correspondence. The cost was estimated to be about $250,000 for a station covering the City of Jiddah. The proposal had, apparently, died due to the lack of appreciation of the suggestion and the apparent lack of experience and evidence of its feasi- 3 bility at that time.
^Douglas Boyd. "Saudi Arabian Television", A Forth coming Article on Journal of Broadcasting. ^The Proposal was dated (17 Tholg'adah 1375) approxi mately 1955. Former King Saud’s Archives, Number 7&7 g . CHAPTER IX
TELEVISION: EARLY PLANNING AND OPERATIONS
In 1963, under pressures and reasons listed pre viously, the government of Saudi Arabia felt the need to install television. The social,, cultural and political needs of the nation justified the use of this twentieth century electronic marvel. In that year, the Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Information to build the first governmental television service in Saudi n Arabia. It recommended that since the permanent head quarters and the microwave network might take a long time to construct, the Ministry decided to establish two temporary broadcast facilities in Riyadh and Jiddah and then develop a big television network which could cover the whole country. The Saudi Government felt that in order to secure and maintain the best and most up-to-date station facilities and operation, it should consult and entrust this television project to a highly qualified professional entity which
■^Decision of The Council of Ministers #59^ (dated IO/8/I3 8 3) December 1 9 8 3* Included in a letter to the Minister of Information, Library of Institute for Public Administration.
172 173 could undertake the entire technical supervision. There fore, a decision was made by the Government to seek the advice of the U.S.. Government.
On April 30, 1963 Mr. Edward W. Allen of the U.S.
Frederal Communication Commission submitted his "Report on the Establishment of Television Broadcast Service in Saudi Arabia'1 suggesting that two small television stations with one-half killowat each be built in the main two cities 2 of Riyadh and Jiddah. His report, although was later modified, was used as a basis for the agreement between the Saudi and the U.S. Government signed at Jiddah on
December 9 , 1963 and January 6 , 1964 by Mr. Omar Sakkaf, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Parker T. 3 Hart, the American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The agreement which entered into force January 6, 1964, stated that the U.S. Government "shall assume responsibility for contracting for the installation of TV transmitting facilities, for the training of operating personnel, and 4 for the initial operation of the stations."
2 From the report of the financial committee to the Council of Ministers (27 Rabia Al-Awal 1384), attached to the Council's decision #182 (28 Rabia Al-Awal 1384). ^The Agreement is provided with a letter to this student from Mr. Ibrahim Al-Sowayel, Saudi Ambassador to the United States, (July 27, 1971). See Appendix C for the Agreement. 4 Ibid. 174
This agreement (Appendix C) mentioned that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would carry out those responsi bilities on behalf of the United States Government until 5 July 30, 1 9 6 6. It also specified further provisions for financing, contracting and other legal terms and conditions. In accordance with the agreement, the Saudi Minister of Information paid a visit to Washington D.C. and New York during April, 1964 to complete arrangements for the 5 installations and procurement of equipment. Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) were chosen as potential subcontractors to the Corps of Engineers. During this trip of consultation with the Corps of Engineers and RCA officials, it was decided that the original plan of building two stations with one-half KW power each, as suggested by Edward W. Allen of the PCC, be expanded to increase more powerful and efficient transmission with at least two and one-half KW powereach, in order to have more reliable and clear signal coverage for the respective areas.^ In accordance with the agreement with the U.S. Government, the Council of Ministers agreed in December 1963 to open the necessary
-*It was later extended until December 1970. 6 "Television On Way For Saudi Arabia", New York Times, April 5,» 19^4. ?The Financial Committee Report, op. cit. 175
letter of credit for a total sum of ten million Saudi
Riyals ($2 ,200,0 0 0 ) taken from the fiscal year of 1963“ 1964 (1383-1384 A.H.) to cover the initial costs of design,
construction and operation of the stations. Later in 1964, an additional one million dollars were added to meet the additional cost of the new construction and modifica tion agreed upon during the Minister of Information's visit 8 to the United States. Later, a high ranking committee for planning was formed at Jiddah, headed by the Minister of Information. The first Director-General of television was Abbas Gazzawy, who was at that time the Director-General of Radio Broad casting. He had joined the Ministry of Information many years before and was one of the best qualified pioneers in the field of broadcasting in Saudi Arabia. His visits to television stations in different Arabian and European countries enabled him, in a relatively short time, to become acquainted with all facets of television affairs. All the administrative and programming aspects were put under his supervision. Other members of the immediate management were Yousif Damanhoury, who was the Assistant General Director of Television, Sulaiman Al-Saleh, who was the Administrative Director of Television at Riyadh, and Mohammed Mashayakh,
8Ibid. 176 and this writer* who were the first Program Managers in charge of all station operations in Jiddah and Riyadh respectively. The technical planning and supervision were attached to the Department of Technical Affairs in the Ministry of Information. Important policy decisions were made by the new TV Committee. Its main function was to study the proposed contracts for construction* initiate an advance training program to prepare a number of qualified staff for operation and management* suggest the programming policy* and shape the initial format of programs for the beginning period. It was clear that none of this authority members had any practical or academic experience In television. They had no offices* no staffj they were beginning from the bottom upwards. The Committee worked in close cooperation with many Arabian experts who had good academic backgrounds and professional experience in television* and who provided valuable advice. The main functions of the Corps of Engineers in relation to the Saudi Arabian television were to Inspect all the construction and the technical aspects of television and the utilities required for the network...To provide technical liaison to assure that the performance of all network facilities are of a quality in conformance with the international standards of communication and technique,..To supervise all operation and maintenance contracts...To monitor the student training program established by the Corps of 177
Engineers for Saudi personnel* provided by the Ministry of Information...To serve as consultant to the Ministry of Information on the television technical matters as requested... 9
Consistent with these activities, the Corps of Engineers developed an overall five-year operation plan 10 for television in Saudi Arabia. The plan included an overall television network advisor to the Ministry of Information, to be located in Riyadh, plus an electronics engineer for supervision of network engineering. There was also a provision for training management officers to insure proper coordination of all training requirements, both on the job and for monitoring of Saudi Arabian requirements related to training in the United States. Provision was included for a quali fied Corps of Engineers employee to be stationed in the United States as a full-time liaison advisor and coordinator of all student activities and problems while they were in the United States. The first subcontract was awarded by the Corps of Engineers to the National Broadcasting Company, International, for the operation and maintenance of the interim television stations at Jiddah and Riyadh. It was awarded during the 11 planning phase of construction in October 1964. This
^U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, "proposed Budget: Saudi Arabian Television Network." (Livorno, Italy, 1 9 6 8), p. 97*
1 0 Ibid., p. 9 8 . i:LIbid., p. 124. 178 contract provided for the mobilization of the ihghly quali fied talent in the television industry who would basically supervise the installation of all equipment in the two television stations, to assure early and fault-free tele casting in Saudi Arabia. The NBCI staff of engineering and production specialists also conducted on-the-job training sessions for the Saudi personnel. Personnel furnished for the tasks included qualified engineers, operation directors, chief engineers, studio engineers, projection engineers, producer-directors, film managers, staging managers, video-tape engineers, electronic engineers, mobile van engineers, and microwave engineers.
This contract with NBCI continued until December, 1968 when the term expired and a new one was awarded on October
10, 1 9 8 8, to Avco Electronic Division of Cincinnati, Ohio."^ This contract has been ever since in effect until the present time (August 1971). The initial design of the two interim television stations at Riyadh and Jiddah was completed by the archi tect-engineering firm of Prank E. Basil, Inc. The contract was awarded in May 1964 under the supervision of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, The design provided detailed plans and specifications and cost estimates which permitted
1P U.S. Corps of Engineers Contract with Avco Corpora tion. (Tireenia, Pisa, Italy, October 10, 1 9 6 8). 179 the early construction and operation of the interim Saudi Arabian television system. The stations were designed to be housed in American-produced prefabricated structures. Complete utilities were planned to include air conditioning, access and parking areas, landscaping and a shelter for a mobile television van. The plan included the concept of a conventional television station having two and a half kilowatt transmission capabilities, transmitter room, a studio, control room, projection room, property storage space, maintenance shop, offices and utility spaces. A foundation for self-supported antenna, tower was provided. Although the facilities were to operate on available commer cial power, the plan included an emergency power plant providing a diesel generator of sufficient capacity to provide full electrical power requirements for the tele vision and studio building. The entire design was based upon (a) utilizing— to the maximum extent— local available construction materials, (b) providing a basic structure for the interim stations that could be dismounted and erected at another site once the permanent television facilities were constructed. The IQ actual design was completed in 99 days.
A building for additional offices, work shops and
■^U.S. Corps of Engineers. "Proposed Budget," op. cit., p. 1 0 7 . 180 storage space was required at the Riyadh television station. This facility was designed hy the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers' own design force. The basic design was such that it could be adapted for any other television station, also, if required in the future. This television facility, as designed, provided for a single masonry structure, containing space for the following operational requirements: a paint shop, a carpentry shop, warehouse, set and prop storage, an artists room, a make-up room and additional office space. In addition, complete utilities were supplied, including air conditioning, access road and parking areas. The interim television facilities at Riyadh and Jiddah were constructed by the American firm of Paul Hardeman, Inc. The contract was awarded in July 1964 and the facilities were completed in approximately one year, after which telecasting operations began. Construction of the television workshop at Riyadh was accomplished by 14 the first of Saudi Commercial Enterprises. (The reinforced masonry structure housing this facility was completed in
1967). The two stations were equipped with the latest and 15 most dependable television equipment available on the market.
15Ibid. l8l
The detailed planning, providing for early telecasting, operations, caused the bulk of the initial equipment funds to be expended early in the program, during the latter part of the design phase and the early part of the con struction phase. The following table shows the estimated cost of the design, construction and television equipment for the period from 1964 to 1 9 6 7 . ^
1964 1965 1966 1967 Jiddah Riyadh J______R J R_____ J R Design $22,000 22,000 - - 16,080 1,400
Con- s’fcruc-' tion $633*300 633*000 3 0 ,0 0 0 5*000 - 61,053 1*400 2 0 ,0 0 0 TV E- quip- ment $866,624 866,625 1 0 ,8 5 1 10,851 - - 39 *0 00 39*000
In April, 19 65* the stations equipment, programming material and personnel, were completed and ready for the opening. Signal test began in Jiddah and Riyadh on July 17,
1965 with no more than slides, music and occasional Mighty Mouse cartoons, but the people lined up five and six deep to view the American, European and Japanese sets on dis- 17 play on the market area. It was suggested that in the
l6Ibld., p. 1 0 9 . ■^Douglas Boyd. "Saudi Arabian Television", op. cit. 182 initial stage of operation, live telecasts should be held to a minimum. The reason was the lack of experienced technicians who would produce a live show. The following personnel represent the minimum crew needed at that time to produce a live show: Producer, director, video operator, production assistant, script writer, staging manager, floor man, stage head, studio engineer, two studio cameramen, audio operator, and on-the- air talent. In addition to these people, engineering personnel were required to operate the station, regardless of whether the programming was film or live. It was assumed that as the proficiency of the operators improved, the live telecasting schedules would be expanded. It was a memorable.achievement for the Ministry of Information to accomplish this project, which was designed, constructed, equipped and completed in a year and a half. It also was a thrilling experience for the public to benefit from one of the most powerful media of this century, and to enjoy progressively as the gradual improvements of programming were made. It was an opportunity for any scholar to gauge the full social impact of television at that time. The change that came over the people in 1965 In Saudi Arabia can be described as nothing less than revolu tionary. To the responsible citizen of today, it becomes significant to ask what the full story of television's impact was on the way of life of these people and the social changes derived from its influence upon the audience.
As soon as the first two government television stations started, viewing television became the great common denominator of the people in Saudi Arabia. Tele vision quickly dominated leisure time activity. One of the most noticeable changes in home resulting from TV was a contribution to the unity of family life brought about by watching television. The family as a whole could enjoy something together. Before the introduction of television, members of the family were mainly attracted by recreation outside the home or the country. Now, they have adjusted their habits to the broadcast schedule. They tend to remain at home during the evening, quite often refashioning the living room to accommodate the television set. It was apparent to any observer in these two cities that automobile traffic was very light during those hours when telecasting was going on. People tried to accomplish their duties to free themselves to watch television. "Some people used to crowd the store fronts to get a glimpse of something which was to change their social 1Q pattern profoundly." The television antenna became 184
familiar on the tops of most homes in Saudi Arabia; people invested large amounts of money in television sets and antennas, and spent money to maintain service. All this showed evidence of a high degree of public acceptance of television broadcasting. It has become a cliche to say that the average viewer spends more time watching tele vision than he spends on any other activity, with the exception of working and sleeping. All manifestations of life after television seemed to confirm this fact in Saudi Arabia. At first it was feared that fascination with tele vision would cause students to stop studying and would affect their scholastic endeavors. There was complaint that children spent too much time watching television and that parents could not control their viewing habits. On the other hand, it was also reported that most families were using television viewing as a reward for children doing their homework. It was said that television helped to keep children off the streets at night and during weekends.
Television in a few months became a dominant medium of communication, and an important source of leisure for the people, the main source of popular entertainment, and the primary means by which most people maintained direct contact with governmental processes. Television, therefore, became a 185 vital social* political* cultural and educational force in Saudi Arabia. As in the United States* television* in Saudi Arabia* affected radio* causing it to loose its peak evening audience. However* radio today still dominates daytime listening. Moreover* radio programs are carried by medium and short waves over a large area and especially in cities where no television signal is available.
In 1965* 't:wo television stations were in existence in the two major metropolitan areas in Saudi Arabia— at
Riyadh* the capital* and Jiddah* the second most important city.
"Most of the objection to television which some conservative people once raised no longer threatens television's very existence in Saudi Arabia. Television was instead being discovered and used as a vehicle to promote the message of Islamic religion and to reinforce certain social values."1^
19Ibid. CHAPTER X
< TELEVISION: EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY While the preceding chapter covered the early period of television service, this chapter will deal primiarly with the growth of television and describe its present dimensions. This chapter will focus on the technical aspects of television including the proposed microwave network that was originally designed in 19&7 and ls expected to be completed in the next few years. Finally, it will describe the proposed construction and use of two satellite ground stations which, hopefully, will become a reality in 1972. One of the most troublesome problems that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has, in terms of expanding tele- vision transmission, is that Saudi Arabia encompasses a large area of about one million square miles (about one- third of the United States). In addition, the population is sparsely distributed which makes it more difficult to achieve technical coverage as in some other countries where boundaries and contours are less irregular. Topographically, the west part of Saudi Arabia is mountainous with a great plateau in the center and east.
186 187
The population is scattered in all directions as the area increases, and the transmission must be greatly extended in order to cover the populated areas. This means that the Ministry of information must install numerous micro wave stations and hire more technicians to operate them. These stations can^enroute^cover the small portion of scattered population who live in villages or rural lands. In other areas there are large towns with populations reaching thirty of forty thousand, such as "Hiel" in the north of Saudi Arabia; the problem here is that these cities are widely separated and isolated and remote from the network route. This uneven distribution of population in Saudi Arabia has created the problem of "signal coverage" and entailed a great cost for the government of Saudi Arabia as will be shown later in this chapter. After the completion of the first two TV stations
In Saudi Arabia in 19^5> a feasibility engineering study covering the eventual permanent television network of Saudi Arabia was prepared by the architect-englneer firm of Frank E. Basil, Inc. This early planning study provided the following: 1) The construction of two repeater stations serving the Holy City of Mecca and the government's summer resort, Taif, and the linkage of these two stations with a microwave network using the Jiddah signal. This project is called 188 here the Jiddah-Mecca-Taif microwave link^and was completed
In 1 9 6 7 . 2) The design and construction of three other stations at Medina,, Burayda and Dammam. These news stations were completed in 1967 * 1968 and 1969 respectively. 3) The plan to provide a microwave link network to cover the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This network is expected in the next few years. It will encompass the building of a permanent television station at Riyadh to handle the future network as a centralized control head quarters . A survey of existing television networks in the Middle East was completed and the findings were incorporated into the feasibility study. The total cost of this study for the feasibility of a National Television Network was 1 $89,500.
The Jiddah-Mecca-Taif Microwave Link This first link in the Saudi Arabian microwave system was designed with terminal or relay type facilities at six different locations. The design was prepared by microwave engineer consultants and it was consistent with future plans for the national microwave network which would reach all the populated parts of Saudi Arabia.
■^U.S Corps of Engineers. "Proposed Budget," op. cit. 189
The first link provided for facilities located in Jiddah, Relay Site No. 1, situated "between Jiddah and Alhada, Mecca Environs, Mecca and Taif (See the map). The completion of construction brought television to the centers of Mecca and Taif at the beginning of August,
1 9 6 7 . Fourteen months later, the microwave and the trans mission system was automated in order to allow complete operation from Jiddah stations.
The specific facilities, constructed in 1967 * "t116 various sites were as follows: A. Jiddah Transmission equipment. Antenna disk (for installation on existing tower). Tower reinforcement to support microwave equipment. B. Relay Site No. 1 Tower foundation and erection. Erection of prefab equipment building. Erection of a prefab power building. Procurement and installation of two fifteen kilowatt generators. Necessary civil works and utilities.
C - A1 Hada Tower foundation and erection. Construction of a reinforced masonry equipment building. Erection of a prefab power building. Procurement and installation of two 25 kilowatt generators. Necessary civil works and utilities D. Mecca environs (transmitter sites)
Tower foundation and erection. Construction of a reinforced masonry equipment building. Procurement and installation of transformers and tie-in to available commercial power. Necessary civil work and utilities. 190
E. Mecca (translator site) Tower foundation and erection. Construction of reinforced masonry equipment "building. Procurement and installation of transformers and tie-in to available commercial power.
P. Taif Tower foundation and erection. Construction of reinforced masonry equipment building. Erection of a prefab power building. Procurement and installation of two 25 kilowatt generators. Necessary civil works and utilities. Microwave Equipment requirements were determined as early as possible in the design phase* and initial procure ment was started in August* 1966. The simultaneous con struction and installation phases permitted telecasting to Taif and Mecca at the earliest practicable date. The microwave equipment schedule consisted of the following general categories. A. Two kilowatt VHP transmitters. B. Television translator units. C. Antennas. D. Antenna towers.
1 each 270 foot (relay section No. 1). 1 each 315 foot (Al-Hada). 1 each 170 foot (Mecca transmitter site). 1 each 60 foot (Mecca translator site). 1 each 300 foot (Taif). E. Television monitors. P. Transmitter relay equipment G. Monoscope camera. H. Test equipment and special bools 191 2 I. Spare parts. The following list shows the cost of design, con struction and equipment of this Jiddah-Mecca-Taif Microwave
Link Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 1966 1967 Design $134,000 Construction 264,145 5 0 ,0 0 0 Equipment 904,938 31,915
Medina, and Buraydah Television Stations The television stations at Medina and Buraydah were identically designed, constructed and equipped at the same
time by the same contractors. The design for the final plans and specifications was awarded to the Architect-Engineer firms of McCaughy, 4 McMillan, Marshall and Lucas. The final design provided for three facilities to be incorporated into separate masonry buildings; namely a studio-office building, a power plant and housing office. Antenna foundations were included as well as complete utilities including air conditioning, access road and parking pavements and landscaping. Television and elec tronic consultants were provided to specify the characteristics
2 Ibid., p. 121-123.
3 Ibid.
^ibid., p. 1 0 9. 3.92 and size of all equipment required for a reliable opera ting station. All the essential design aspects of the Medina television station were utilized in the Buraydah design and the building site was adapted to the second location. This procedure was used to insure the most economical design and construction. The construction contract was awarded to the firm of Briscoe Cat International under the supervision of the 5 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in September 1 9 6 6. The coordination with television and electronic con sultants during the design phase permitted optimum procure ment of all required television equipment early in the construction schedule. The maximum standardization of equipment which was required in the design of these facilities contributed to the early scheduling of pro curement and significant operational and maintenance cost reductions for the entire Saudi Arabian Television Network. The Medina station began broadcasting on December 30*
1 9 6 7 - Construction of the station in Buraydah was com pleted later and the station was In operation by July 1^,
1 9 6 8.
As these two television stations at Medina and Buraydah were relatively small in comparison with the first two stations at Riyadh and Jiddah* their programming
5Ibid.* p. 110. 193 concept involved making video tape recordings at Jiddah and Riyadh of the programs being produced there and a subsequent shipment to Medina and Buraydah for playback. This procedure required equipment at both the Jiddah and Riyadh stations to be used only for taping the Medina and Buraydah programs. Therefore, the cost of this equipment was included within the Medina and Buraydah portion of the Budget. The primary forecast of telecasting was based on the following major assumptions: 1. The stations at Buraydah and Medina would have the capability to present film, video tape or limited interview-type live shows. 2. Locally produced live shows at Medina and Buraydah would originate in an announcer's studio, capable of handling a maximum of three people on camera. 3. The announcer's studio would be equipped with one vidicon camera that could be manned or completely remote- controlled in news.
4. Other than the locally produced live news and interview shows all daily programming shown on these stations would be received at the stations, and after showing, the station would reship the program back to Jiddah and Riyadh.
The following table represents the total cost of both stations
6Ibid., p. 112. 194
Piacal Year 1966 Fiscal Year 1967 Medina Buraydah Medina Buraydah
Design $ 50,916 30,584 - ' Construction 423,466 453*227 109,715 109*715 TV Equipment 1 6 8 ,8 0 7 1 6 8 ,8 0 7 359*831 359*832
Dammam Television Station This was the fifth and last in the plan for con structing five major television stations at different locations throughout the country. Although not the main station, it was so important that it received a greater power than any of the other stations. This was necessary for several reasons: First, because it would cover an important part of Saudi Arabia which has a very large segment of the population. This part also is a plains area, the greater power would provide more coverage. Second, the Dammam television station was intended to serve the adjacent Arabian countries around the Arabian Gulf, such as Bahrain, Duwait, Quater and the Trucial Coast. It has been mentioned before that Aramco has iis own television station at Dhahran (ten miles from Dammam). This Aramco Arabic program was transferred into an English program just a few days before the Dammam government station was put on the air in November, 1 9 6 9* The station was planned to be the same size as the existing station in Riyadh, with the exception of the equipment room which was increased in size to accommodate the large size transmitter and associated equipment. The 195 total area of this structure is approximately 1 1 *5 0 0 square feet. The building is pre-fabricated* similar to the station in Riyadh and Jiddah* with the exception of improvements in the acoustical treatment in the studios. The structure is fully air conditioned and office furnish ing and office equipment were provided. A If$00 foot guyed* galvanized triangular tower was
erected. On top of the tower is a square sided support column* which contains the High Performance Dipole Antenna for GCIR Band III VHP Television Transmission. The additional height of the antenna support column brings the overall height above ground to 1*327 feet. An elevator was provided
inside the tower to carry men to the 1 *2 0 0 foot level for lighting maintenance. According to the Corps of Engineers* "The northernly radiated signal (toward Kuwait from the highest antenna in the Middle East or Europe) may be the most powerful in the world. The Effected Rediated Power of this VHP . 7 station is 1 -1 mega watts." The plan provided for two ten kilowatt CCIR Band III VHF Television Transmitters* which were of the latest design. Approximate power requirements would be in the
^Douglas Boyd. "Saudi Arabian Television"* op. cit. It should be indicated here that according to Dr. Walter Emery* the Soviet Union had just completed the highest TV antenna tower in the world (1750 feet). Educational Broadcasting Review* August* 197P* P- 33- 196 order of 100 kilowatts for the Dammam Twin Transmitter ' equipment. The equipment is similar to that of the Riyadh and
Jiddah station. There are two film cameras with two l6 mm projectors and two 35 mm TV projectors, one videotape
recorder, one sound-on film camera and one 16 mm film camera. A film processor was included, which makes possible the filming of local news events. Power required for the television room was the same as for the Jiddah and Riyadh television room or somewhat less, due to the use of new type transistorized film cameras. The studio was designed to he able to produce programs similar to the Jiddah and Riyadh operations. Therefore all the normal requirements for the studio were provided.
A letter of credit No. 2529, dated 26 March, 1967 , was opened with Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, in the
amount of $3 ,2 8 8 ,0 0 0 for design and construction of the station, to be issued monthly to the U.S. Army Corps of 0 Engineers beginning May 1, 1967 to August 1, 1 9 6 8.
Fiscal Year 1967-1968
Design $ 90,000 Construction 2,048,000 TV Equipment 1,040,000
The station was on the air officially on November 5j 1969*
8Ibid., p. 127. 197
The construction of the television station at Dammam concludes the expansion plan that included five main and two small TV stations which are now in operation. (See the map). The following table gives a summary information about 9 the stations' powers, channels and dates of operation.
Station Power Channel Direction Date of Opening
Riyadh 2 KW 5 Non-direc- July 17,1965 tional Jiddah 2 KW 10 it ii July 17,1965
Taif (repeater) 2 KW 8 Semi-direc Aug. 1967 tional Mecca, (repeater) 2 KW 7 it ii Aug. 1967 Medina 5 KW 5 1! II Dec.30,1 9 6 7 Buraydah 5 KW 8 11 II julyl4,1968 Dammam 25 KW 6 It 11 Nov. 5,1969
The :Future Nationwide Network So far, the constructional and technical development of the present five main and two small stations have been described. Now, three major developments related to the new proposed network will be discussed: A. A new plan calls for a permanent TV center at Riydah, the capital, that would become the central
^In a letter to this student from the Director of Technical Affairs, the Ministry of Information (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) 19^9* 1Q8
Dhahran * Buraydah
•Madina
• Riyadh
DMecca iddah •>A1 Hada © T a i f
• Five governmental TV stations at Riyadh, Jiddah, Medina, Buraydah and Dammam are in oneration at this time*
O Two governmental satellite stations at Mecca and Taif are in operation at the present time (since 1967),
O Two relay stations at Relay #\ and A1 Hada to provide signals to the two satellite stations (since 1967).
■ Aramco Television at Dhahran in operation at the present time (since 1957), 199 control and headquarters of telecasting throughout the Kingdom.
B. The construction of an additional TV studio in Jiddah to meet the increasing demand in that city. C. An interconnection microwave-link network that would connect the existing seven stations and would he extended to cover the remaining populated areas in the country. It should he emphasized here that the three projects have not heen started,, at the time of this writing.
A . Future Permanent Television Center The present facilities in Riyadh will he inadequate to handle the expanded television operations in the future. Consequently* it was proposed to design a structure to meet the needs for centralizing the television operations in Riyadh. It will take two years for this facility to be completed. Many features urgently required now* such as central administration* a film processing center and expanded programming* are not contained in the existing television station* and an addition to the facility was not recommended. Instead* action was taken on design and construction of the permanent television center. Upon completion of the new center the existing facility will he converted into a training center for educating Saudi personnel in the field of hi’oadcasting. 200
The proposal calls for a three story structure to centralize the complete television operation for the net work. The structure will contain four studios* one for audience participation seating 428 people on the public level. A film processing center will be provided to handle all the needs of the network* including editing* projection* recording and storage as well as a complete video tape recording facility. Equipment is to be of the latest type* readily converted to color. It is proposed to locate this facility adjacent to the Ministry of Information's complex in Riyadh.
B. The Additional Studio at Jiddah Due to the importance of Jiddah* especially during the pilgrimage season and as the second largest city* the Ministry of Information has decided to provide an additional facility to meet this demand and make possible the addi tional activity that the station in Jiddah is expected to carry out during the religious season. Since the permanent headquarters and center of television operations is planned to be in Riyadh* it was recommended that the existing facilities at Jiddah be increased by the addition of one studio and the necessary television equipment to meet those expanded telecasting requirements. The studio was designed to be similar to the existing studio at Jiddah and to include a control room and additional technical space 201 for the equipment, which included tape recorders, cameras, telecine, lighting, and furnishings. The building is to be fully air conditioned and given acoustical treatment. A separate building will be constructed adjacent to the existing power plant, for prop storage, the carpenter and paint shop, offices, performers dressing rooms and waiting rooms with air conditioning and necessary furnishings.
C. The Proposed Future Television Network This network was originally proposed by the U.S.
Corps of Engineers on March 24, 1967, to provide inter- ■ connection between the present five main television sta tions. Ever since it was proposed, the plan has been under careful consideration by the government. It was finally concluded that such a network should be implemented by the Ministry of Communication (PTT) instead of the Ministry of Information and that the project should serve not only the television operations but also all other civic and military communication. Consequently, the original proposal was amended to suit this purpose, integrating coaxial cable with microwave system to form the projected network.
This year (July 1971) the tender of construction was announced. It calls for the Installation of a cable and microwave network of about 1500 killowmeter to be completed in two years after the contract is awarded. 202
The new amended plan is under study during the time of this writing, therefore, only the original plan proposed by the Corps of Engineers, was available to this research to be discussed here. It should give general idea about the future network.^ The network is expected to provide the highest reliability and performance with maximum security of circuits for utilization on a joint occupancy basis with the government agencies concerned for telephone, telegraph, television, civic or military services. The plan delineates the nationwide microwave system into seven phases to allow for orderly planning and funding. Future growth demands upon the communication system are protected by the ease and economy of modifying the installed message microwave system. There are various phases of work which can be under taken in increment eventually to provide an overall network for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia— a link which will provide service for television, and simultaneous transmission of voices, teletype, telemetry, computer data and any other type of intelligence that can be relayed via radio beam. The microwave system will handle 525 or 625 line CCIR monochrome or color TV programs. The system being offered will be one-way from Riyadh to Jiddah and Riyadh to Dammam, or two-way Riyadh to Jiddah and two-way Riyadh to Dammam.,
10U.S. Corps of Engineers, "Proposed Budget", op. cit. Jordan.
Halat Ammar
Tabuk a Buraydah Dammam
Yanb
Quitfudhah 0 Khamis Mushayt
Abha A1 Dar
Jizan
PROPOSED MICROWAVE NETWORK Designed March 24-, 196? 204
Future expansion may readily be made to Buraydah, Medina,
Jizan, Tabuk and possible connection to Jordan. The fault- ■ reporting and order-wire will be provided over similar equipment to parallel service operating in the 6 MH2 band. The microwave relay equipment proposed for this high quality, ultra-reliable point-to-point transmission of television and/or communication service utilizes total solid state techniques. The equipment proposed is ideally suited for this long-haul application where operating economy, relia bility and picture/message quality are of prime considera tion. The estimated cost of this proposed network, reflect ing both the cost of TV signal portion to be used by the Ministry of Information and the cost of other communica tion services which might be used by the Ministry of Communication and other agencies is expected to reach about $25 million.
The Training programs
During the early design and construction phases of the interim television stations at Jiddah and Riyadh, steps were taken to implement a student training program. The first contract was let in July, 1964, with the American firm of National Broadcasting Company International, to screen and select fifty-six Saudi Arabian nationals for professional 205 television training. In addition* educational curricula and standards were established locally and specific training programs were recommended for the staffing of the Saudi Arabian television network. In accordance with the qualifications of the selected applicants* the students participated in a curriculum providing for basic English training* technology preparation* television studio school* industrial communications* electronics and electronics technology. Shortly thereafter, in September 19^4* the same firm of NBCI furnished intensive English training to fifty-eight employees of the Ministry of Information assigned to television operations in Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously* with these initial efforts* management and television equipment and maintenance of the interim television stations furnished on-the-job training to all Saudi Arabian personnel assigned to the program integrating them into the daily telecasting and television equipment and maintenance activities.
Early in 19^5> two Saudi students enrolled at Syracuse University in the United States and completed their studies leading to Masters of Science degrees in television. Other students* enrolled in a special television photo graphy school in New York* completed their instruction and supervised the making of a film documentary. Another student completed an orientation and study tour at various 206 studios and laboratories in the United States, becoming familiar with American television procedures and operations.
In December 19^^j a program for English Language and professional television training was contracted for with the American institution of RCA Institutes, Inc. in New York City. The program--located in New York--provided for intensive study covering comprehension of the English language, mathematics, physics, Summer Workshop for Junior Directors, Studio Operation in camera technique, video switching, lighting, directing and TV film projection and editing, electronic technology, electronic circuits and systems, and advanced courses for specially qualified students. Students completing their professional training in America are bow returning to Saudi Arabia and are actively engaged in the normal operations, management and maintenance functions within the national television network. Plans are underway to prepare a permanent television training schedule incorporating within each fiscal years' budget implementation funds to provide a constant pool of pro fessionally trained television personnel. English language training in the United States was budgeted for a total of forty Saudi students during fiscal year 1968 with forty students entering the program during each half of fiscal year 1 9 6 8. The purpose of this 207 training was to provide Saudi Arabian students with a sufficient understanding of the English language to enter television production or technical type study. The training was for a period of six months in prequalified universities or institutions which specialize in teaching the English language to non-English speaking students. After completion of English language training, the students proceeded to a pre-selected television and/or electronics institute to start technical and production training. The training period for technical and production personnel depended on the particular position for which students were selected and varied from six months to two years. The cost of technical training in the fiscal year
1968 reached $115,000. The English language training for
1968 reached $85 *0 00 for a total of $200,0 0 0 .^ At the time of this writing, August 1971, there are about twenty Saudi students attending the U.S. schools. Most of them are studying in the field of electronics engineering at Arizona State University.
A Look Ahead Looking ahead to the future of television in the next few years, the Ministry of Information plans for continued expansion and improvement. The following installations
i:LIbid. 208
and technical developments are expected in the near future: 1) The construction of the proposed network dis cussed earlier. The completion of this network, covering about 95$ of the populated area in Saudi Arabia, will coincide with two other related projects; the construction of the permanent television center at Riyadh and the
building of an additional studio and facilities at the television station in Jiddah.
2) The conversion to color television. This is scheduled to coincide with the completion of the permanent facilities in Riyadh. 12
3) The continual updating of all television equipment to insure that Saudi Arabia has the best equipment available. 4) Bolstering the weaker areas in equipment and operations by supplying videotape equipment or other necessary items. 5) Updating the three remote units (O.B. Vans) to 13 include more cameras and greater flexibility of equipment.
6 ) The creation of a mobile test equipment laboratory which can be driven from station to station in order to meet those needs that cannot be handled by in-station equipment, or which require special equipment not possessed 14 by in-station personnel.
1? This is based on the U.S. Corps of Engineers letter, op. cit..
c . Schulz, Avco's Letter, op. cit. 209
7) Continual classroom instruction and on-the-job 15 training with in-station equipment for all new employees. 8) Upgrading camera performance by going to a newer, and better type of image-orthicon tube. It is also predicted that in the technical fields, solid state equipment and higher powered transmission will be seen. In production, there are practically unlimited opportunities as various Ministries and other governmental agencies to make effective use of television to reach the people. It should be emphasized, despite what has been said above, that the greatest future of television is not in a vast network, in a huge supply of equipment, or in buildings important as they may bej rather It is in devotion of a dedicated staff, concerned with the importance of mass media as social tools and a willingness to work hard to achieve results and thoughtfulness to duty and dynamic productivity of the staff. Effective television, in the future as in the past, calls for a high degree of respon sibility, creativity and concern for the interests of the community. Finally, a related technical development that is expected to take place very shortly— probably 1 9 72 --is the
15 Ibid. l6Ibid. 210 completion of two satellite communication ground stations in Saudi Arabia, the subject of the next few pages.
Saudi Arabia and Satellite Communication In a report prepared for the Ministry of Communication in Saudi Arabia (PTT) on the 27th of March 19^5, Mr. S. A. Sathar, the International Communication Union's expert indicated that Saudi Arabian government had signed the agreement for the creation of The International Communica tion Satellite Consortium (Intelsat) in February 19, 1965 and was allocated (at that time) a share of 0 .05$j the IT equivalent of $1003000. ' (According to Comsat report to the U.S. President, as of December 31, 19^9, the quota was 00.045090.) Saudi Arabia has been one of thirteen Arabian coun tries represented by Algeria In the seventeen-member Interim Communication Satellite Committee (ICSC), the governing body of Intelsat. The report went on to describe the importance of space communica.tion to Saudi Arabia and to recommend further steps toward an active participation of Saudi Arabia in Intelsat programs. ...Saudi Arabia's external telegraph and tele phone communication at the moment is more or less
IT 'S.A. Sathar,, "Saudi Arabia and Space Communication". A Report to the Ministry of Communication (PTT) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 27th March 19^5* Unpublished, p. 6. 211
exclusively dependent on H.F. Radio Communications which are inadequate as they cannot provide the needed quality and number of channels required according to expanding demands...There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia will have to go in for space communication., to meet her needs for inter national telecommunication. It is essential there fore that we be cognizant of the possibilities of space telecommunications and take effective steps at the right time for its exploitations.1 8 According to the Communication Satellite Corporation publications (Comsat) Saudi Arabia is scheduled to have two satellite ground stations constructed in 1972. The two stations will be built in Jiddah and Riyadh receiving the signal from satellite in orbit over Atlantic Ocean and 19 Indian Ocean regions respectively. ^ In December 1970* Comsat submitted a technical pro posal for advisory services in connection with the estab lishment of a network of communication satellite earth stations in Saudi Arabia. The proposal outlines a program for "design and installation of the earth station segment of a domestic satellite communication network in Saudi Arabia to augment existing facilities and to help meet present and future telecommunication needs of the Kingdom. The earth station network would provide television., telephone* telegraphy and data services with and among
1 Q Ibid., p. 7 .
•^Qomsat, World's Earth Stations for Satellite Communication, A Brochure published in December, 1970, p7 12. 212 remote communities." The proposed Comsat advisory services are divided into three chronological phases. The first phase would include all activities necessary to study and describe the system and to specify the performance expected from the equipment to be installed. The second phase would begin with equipment procurement action and the third phase would relate to the operation and maintenance of the system during the first year of operation. Although the proposal calls for further studies to be done by a team from Comsat to collect pertinent data that could affect the ultimate system configuration selection of sites, budgetary estimates, etc., the proposal states that: ...Operations, traffic flow and traffic distri bution would be observed for a period of one year to determine if any reconfigurations would be necessary or advisable. In addition, projections would be made to provide the basis for further communications planning within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, recommendations would be made for expansions to the system to satisfy needs and more diversified services. 21 It Is to be noted that the actual operating personnel
20 Comsat: "Technical Proposal for Advisory Services in connection with establishment of a network of Communication Satellite Earth Station" (Washington D.C. Dec. 21, 1970). The document was provided to this study by Mr. Roman I. Ulans, Manager, Middle East Development, with his letter to this student dated June 11, 1971. 21Ibid., p . 1 6 . 213
(engineering and technicians) would not be provided under the contract* but would instead be provided by the Kingdom 22 of Saudi Arabia either directly or through other contracts.
A recent article written by Elias Antar in the Aramco Worid, described the plans for the communication system in Saudi Arabia: ...The huge Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is planning not only one but two satellites ground stations to be linked to the satellite...At first* the two stations will serve to link the two cities via satellite* an arrangement that is cheaper than a direct microwave system of relay stations on the ground. Later* it's planned to use the station to provide connection between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world. 23
The completion of these two satellite ground stations would provide greater efficiency for the telephone and telegraphy services in Saudi Arabia. It will also provide more opportunity for simultaneous* instant transmission of news and sports. As for entertainment and political material* it is very difficult to predict the potential use of satellites since these materials will be subject to. restric tions discussed in Chapter XII on programming. Generally speaking* Saudi Arabian TV programming transmitted via satellite most likely will be similar to that now presently broadcast - news* scientific material* sport event* etc.
22 Ibid. ^Elias Antar* "The Big Signal" Aramco World Magazine (January-February 1971) P* 24. CHAPTER XI
THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF TELEVISION Generally speaking, all five television stations are administered by the General Directorate of Television within the Ministry of Information. Five TV Station Managers report directly to the General Director of Television in the Ministry of Information at Riyadh. The engineering staff is connected— for technical report- ing--with the Director of Technical Affairs in the Ministry of Information who supervises and directs the technical development. The American staff in every station, in their engineering and maintenance positions, work under their project manager (the Avco representative) and in full cooperation in a routine and clear relationship with the people representing the Ministry of Information in each station. The average number of station employees Is sixty-five. The television stations in Riyadh, Jiddah and Dammam-- the centers of productlon--have the highest number of employees, up to eighty in each. In the Medina or Buraydah stations, where the programs used are produced mostly in other stations and played back with a minimal amount of
214 215 local production* the number of employees reaches thirty persons or less in each station. In some of these stations the station manager doubles as program manager. He may also--if he has an announcing background— work a regular shift as an announcer. In stations with large numbers of personnel* Jiddah* Dammam and Riyadh* assistant managers and separate program managers are added. Technicians who are starting their careers in these stations are oriented and trained to engage in all aspects of station operation* giving them the chance to examine the various jobs before their final determination of position. This policy of orientation was also helpful before sending these people for training abroad. The chart* next page* shows the various departments in a typical television station and the general administrative alignment prevailing in these five stations as they descend from the Ministry of Information. When television broadcasting first started* the varied duties and activities of the executive positions were discussed* agreed upon and documented. Copies were given to each department. It is uncommon in the other divisions of the Ministry to have such written job descriptions* there fore* the clear* well-defined policy* put in writing for the television system* has achieved strength and a greater Minister of Information
1 Deputy Minister I
C-en. Dir.- Other Dept^ Gen, Director of TV Dir.-Technical Affairs
1 Other Depts. | | Acctg,"Rights| [Pub. Relations Film Dents. 1 1 Control Committee \ Station Managers Secretaries
I 1 Chief Sngrs. I [Admin. Mgr s. I llJews Directors Program Mgrs. Transmitter 3.1 [Talent Coor. | [Photographers 1 [Production M. Videotape E. [ [Accountants | |Asst. Photog. "1 [Staging Kgrs.\ [Producer Dir Scare jarts II.( lshluping Cksl iNevrs Editors 1 Art directors [Carpenters I [Film t-lgrs. ,, ^ „ ,______jicrowave 5. [ [Typists I [Translators 1 [Cameramen | | Painters 1 [Floor Mgr s. Mobile Van S. [ [Filing Cleikd Film Editors ] [Lab Technic. | [Log Typists [—[Traffic Cks. jl _ Studio Sngrs. [ [Drivers I[Typists D P-Udl° Oper. [Announcers r (HousekeepersI [Newscasters ~\ [Video Oper. ) [Script Writers |Telecine Qperj [Audio Librar. The organizational structure of the IStaff Artists [Liaison Off. stations under the supervision of |Stage Hands Directors the Minister of Information 217 efficiency and helped the growth of television. These complete job descriptions portray the limita tions and responsibilities of each staff member so that he understands the relationship of his work to that of other employees, as well as to the other functions of the station. This has made it easy for new personnel to learn their job routines and absorb the station's policy.
Administrative Problems As in any broadcasting system, when television started in Saudi Arabia certain administrative problems began to appear and multiply. Some problems required routine managerial decision-making and were solved; still others were of an annoying na/ture and more complicated because of their association with other governmental divisions. Of course, any problem— even of an administrative nature--a.ffects programming, production, and, eventually, television development in general. In the succeeding pages some of these problems will be analyzed, focusing on the ways in which they were approached or should be solved. The five television stations are supported finan cially by the government; it is the only source of finan cing which includes the normal expenses of the program production— such as the cost of rights to broadcast certain programs and events, music and song fees, news services, 2X8 film rental or purchases, shipping costs, etc. and props and any other miscellaneous expenses for program production. Of course, in a country like Saudi Arabia, it has been the tradition to have the government subsidize television, and it is one of the advantages that Saudi Arabia has the financial resources to enter into the television program and provide the possible facilities with which to work. The problem, however, is that funds for program production are often needed instantly. In many cases the station manager may have to buy— without the advance approval of the Ministry--raw film, make-up, sets or props, or any other consumable material, or provide funds for instant travelling. Those are incidental expenses. All the accounting operations of television are connected with the Accounting Department at the Ministry. The procedure of approval from this department, often, takes so long that it does not keep up with the quick needs of the station. There have been attempts to expedite this operation by appointing a local person or committee in every station to represent the Accounting Department, but still, these committees are sometimes tied with their department's red tape and delay. Other problems are related to the overlapping of managerial functions. Two of the five stations, for instance, have program managers and station managers, both report separately to the General Director of Television, 219 while the others have only a program director in charge of all administrative matters. Of course, the first arrangement is desirable if the budget permits, but the problem in this case is that the varied duties and activ ities of the program manager and the station manager are sometimes overlapped, especially in handling the small administrative duties. This overlapping happens simply because everyone does not see the boundaries of his function and feels that a portion of his responsibility is attached or performed by the other. These two positions are related closely to each other, particularly in broadcasting, and they are subject to duplication and overlapping if there is no clear distinction. The Ministry of Information had in 1966 to consolidate these two positions into one.
In 1966 the program directors had been the heads of their stations and in charge of both programming and administration. This modification had, to a large extent, solved the problem, although not ideally, because the heavy burden the program director bears affects the quality of his job. This can be solved if a clear policy of the duties of each person is formulated— and the central top responsibilities is clearly defined. Similarly, there is no specific reporting structure for the news departments. They have been sometimes under the supervision of the station manager and in other cases are under the direct control of the General Director of 220
Television. It is usually advisable, since news is basically a part of the station function, that the station manager should coordinate and control the operation of the news department. Another type of problem that management still faces is the lack of a qualified Saudi staff, well trained in broadcasting, especially as announcers. Almost nine out of ten of the telecasters now are those who had been successful in radio broadcasting before television began. They are still working regular shifts as announcers in both radio and television. Obviously the system needs many more trained announcers. This continuous need has obligated the administration to hire a supplementary number from the other Arabian countries. These Arabian announcers are well qualified•and they have helped to alleviate the problem, but their salaries are very high (they almost receive as double as that of any Saudi employee) and they are also not acquainted with the dialects of the different part of Saudi Arabia.
This lack of qualified personnel is largely the result of two factors: Universities in Saudi Arabia have not yet established broadcasting studies and there have been no previous television stations to train personnel. In addition, the job hiring requirements are inflexible. These qualifi cation requirement for hiring people in radio and television 221 have been established in written form for many years. Salaries are based on a standard level of education and training. Sometimes people with or without certificates, who seek a career in television, know that they must meet these qualifications literally or they will not be hired. They know, for example, that experience is not a sub stitute for the exact level of education called for in the regulations. The strict adherence to these Civil Service regulations by the management is largely responsible for driving away eager young people desiring a career in tele vision. Perhaps the personnel problems could be solved if rules were relaxed and salaries increased. Employment for broadcasting should be exempted from the inflexible regula tions of Civil Service that are applied to other govern mental jobs. Related to this subject is the problem of recruiting new and untrained technicians. One of the most serious difficulties the television industry faces at the present time is selecting a staff with a high school education from Saudi Arabia. An executive advisor with the Corps of Engineers has expressed this difficulty in these words: The main problem facing the television system at this time is being able to have sufficient young men to be trained to take over the various management, technical and production functions within the rapidly expanding television system. It can be 222
said there is no other major obstacle confronting the formation of the television system. 1 The lack of high school graduates is the result of their desire to continue college educations and the com petition of other government jobs. The Avco senior representative at Riyadh has also expressed, in a similar statement, the opinion of the Avco staff in Saudi Arabia, providing certain suggestions for solving this problem within the available budget and facilities. Avco feels that the trainees and technicians have great ability at least equal to stateside personnel. A few still need to be motivated before we can get them to put forth their best efforts. These are "people problems" and once they are solved, Saudi television staff people will be capable of doing just about anything. It is recommended that a careful selection and executive training plan be given to those men who are to be trained for top executive positions in the television system. These executives should attend public communication seminars or educational training courses in addition to the attendance of annual events like the National Association of Broadcasters, a minimum of three months in station training in one of the five Avco Broadcasting Stations under the guidance of the station manager, a period of a minimum of one year of on-the-job training and guidance in the area of top management responsibilities under the direction of the Ministry official and the Avco project manager. 2
In a letter to this student from the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The letter was undated. (Received June 1 9 6 9). C. Schulz, V.P. Field Engineering. Avco Corpora tion, Cincinnati, Ohio. A letter to the writer, May 29, 1969. 223
Avco also feels that "better recruiting" is the more beneficial and faster way to get better qualified personnel. When asked about other problems facing television systems
in Saudi Arabia, the Avco representative replied: "Mastering the art of communication between individuals and mastering the art of working together as a team, rather than as individuals." Douglas Boyd, who sometimes coordinated the Saudi Arabian television training affairs for the Corps of Engineers in Saudi Arabia., wrote an article recently ex pressing similar views about the problem facing the training programs;
...Two major problems have hampered technical training of Saudi personnel— lack of English Language proficiency and lack of a proper high school science and math background. Generally in the Middle East the language of Engineering is English. Before the student can successfully reap the benefits of instruction in electronic theory and application, he must master English. 3 The advice and recommendation provided by the NBC. and the Avco administrative personnel have helped, to some extent, in overcoming many recruiting or hiring problems. The application of certain American methods in this respect, such as interviewing before hiring, or giving the chance to the selected employees to try all production Jobs - lighting, editing, sound, filming, projection, handling
3 Douglas Boyd, op. cit. 224 cameras, has helped to eliminate many problems and make the needed refinements. This point leads to the question of to what extent can Saudi Arabia apply or adopt certain American administrative approaches? The writer contacted the Corps of Engineers and Avco to ask, in General, what they thought of this idea. An official of the U.S. Corps of Engineers in Saudi Arabia replied: The basic American management methods can be applied to the Saudi Arabian television as management methods are fairly uniform throughout the world. However, as most American television is commercial, some of the detailed management methods would not be applicable to the situation in Saudi Arabia. 4 The same question was sent also to the head of the Avco staff in Saudi Arabia. His answer was Commercial broadcasting operates on the principle of supplying the greatest number of viewers to an individual advertiser, therefore commercial revenues are vital to the success of commercial television in the United States. Likewise, in educational tele vision the financial support come from educational agencies or private donations and contribute to the support of the station. In Saudi Arabia, the television network can operate without the requirements of satisfying the advertiser, or some public service group. Thus, American methods of management can be successfully applied in Saudi Arabia without the above mentioned restrictions, c permitting its use to the greatest possible extent.
^The U.S. Corps of Engineers’ letter, op. cit.
5r , c . Schulz, Avco letter, op. cit. 225
Talking about these administrative problems leads the writer to suggest one of many solutions that might help get to the root of these problems for solution. It is the idea of transferring the broadcast organization in Saudi Arabia from its current system as a government-operated body to a public corporation, under the basic supervision of the government. The demands of radio and television broadcasting operations are usually different from those required by other government departments. As has been discussed above, demands for personnel in television require more flexible approach in hiring and training.. Efficient television operations also require special financial rules that would allow the procurement system to keep up with the fast-paced nature of its program production. It is traditional in Saudi Arabia that all governmental departments follow the established central financial and employment rules that regulate and supervise all these activities. In a few instances the government of Saudi Arabia exempted certain utilities or transportation and schools from this prevailing system and they were trans- g ferred into public corporations. In broadcasting the best known examples of this system of organization is the BBC in
g For example. The Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, The University of Riyadh and the Institute for Public Administration. 226 the United Kingdom and also the systems in France, West Germany and Belgium. In this type of system the government creates a public orporation, or authority,, granting it considerable independence, though retaining final control.
Such public corporations chartered by the state are normally not subject to direct government supervision, although they receive policy guidance from a board of directors which is appointed by the government. Liaison with the state usually is through the minister of the related department. Once the government has laid down basic policies, it usually allows the organization much freedom especially in the financial and recruitment rules. Such organizations are always, on the other hand, subject to some supervision and final review.^ (This proposal will also be discussed later in Chapter XV).
Burton Paulu, "The Public Corporation," Radio and Television Broadcasting in the European Continenl~(Mlnneapolis: University of MirmesbtsT“Press, lye/j, p .^>8 . CHAPTER XII
TELEVISION PROGRAMMING It can be said--as in the United States and in cases of new television service in any country--that the program ming material and formats of the radio shows of Saudi Arabia were transposed to the new medium with little change. Talk shows, long editorials and commentaries, quiz and audience participation programs were seen in television in 1965 with the same concept as radio, from which they were largely borrowed. The main reasons for this phenome non was that the management and programming staff who had previously worked in radio broadcasting knew very little about television.
During the latter part of 1965> most of the U.S. trained students returned to Saudi Arabia. Management personnel had the opportunity to meet with experts from NBC International and advisors from other Arabian countries to learn more about television production. Television became a meeting center of experiences that led to an evaluation of programming, significant experimentation, and to discoveries of new dimensions in this medium.
The second half of 19^5j when the first two television stations in Saudi Arabia were put into operation, was a
227 ■ 228 time of trial and error for the management* a time to practice the new challenge. As has been mentioned before in this study* none of the Saudi staff had any previous experience in television. During this period the manage ment realized that television programming was not a mere simple extension of radio. They found that television was the most voracious consumer of audio-visual material and that new reserves would have to be available in advance for reviewing the editing preparation. They found that the programming function was a very costly one in time* effort* money and creative ability. They concluded that this function was extremely complex and different from radio programming. Programs in television are interrelated operational processes— the simultaneous availability of performing* writing and production talent* production facilities including studios* lighting* camera equipment* scenery* costumes and technical crews. The programming function* in other words* draws its creative ideas* materials and talent from all possible sources. To think or plan for a television program is completely different from actually doing these ideas in the studio. It was also difficult to determine or judge what audiences liked or disliked before working closely with such audiences. The technical diffi culties and the audience tastes were most important factors in the determination of new programs. 229
As soon as television started in 19&5 the television administration found that the total of two hours of telecasting every day was no longer enough for viewers who
began to raise their voices demanding the expansion of daily transmission. In less than six months, the tele
casting period was increased, and faster than what had been planned. The total daily number of hours is now about six hours for the weekdays and ten hours for the weekends. (Thursday night and Friday). During the planning year for television it was predicted that the system would be capable of producing only 25 percent of the daily programming. But as soon as the experimentation period ended at the beginning
of 19 66, the daily programs started to expand by increas ing local production. How, more than fifty percent of all programs are produced locally and most of this production is centered in the three television stations of Riyadh, Jiddah and Dammam. The management found that only the local pro duction could comply with the social, religious requirements in the Country. In local production these social, religious needs could be easily reflected. Critics believed that this growth of local programs was one of the positive results of the social influences over television in Saudi Arabia. It was believed that this growth would not have happened had these stations leaned on the imported programming material. I
230
In the early days of television (19^5) the two television stations at Riyadh and Jiddah operated similar two-hour-long programs. The programs started at sunset with fifteen minutes of readings from the Holy Koran and words of the Prophet Mohammed, followed by another reading from the daily newspaper for ten minutes. The rest of the television day was divided among children's programs, cartoon, slides and music, simple shows, documentary film, and songs. The news bulletin was unfilmed. Last to be shown was a late film. A glance at the programming schedule (next page) showing the format used now gives an idea of the difference between the programs this year, 1971 , and those in 1 9 6 5.
The present schedule of the daily program begins at 6 p.m. with religious readings from the Holy Book and words of the Prophet Mohammed. Then the children's shows, including songs, cartoons and series. The prime time, between eight p.m. and ten p.m., consists of entertainment, educational and documentary programs. News is given at
10 p.m. and news headlines are presented at the end of the daily program. Between news and the late news headlines there is a late show, a film shown either for one or one and a half hours. One hour series and feature films are usually scheduled to fill this time. As daily programs begin with the National Anthem and religious readings, they are also concluded with the same material. 8 Evening 15 3 0 1*5 X t5 IS TO A5 ¥- 15 30 fc5 -f 7 J i r— i— i T i i SoHen-I i -lildreiij's i I IThiis A ra b ic Saturday title I What* Wfong!is lour lies Programs I a Film ! i F -Q. ]. iCouhtoy o ! I | H Around i co I hildrenj's | ^ Folk l Sports jS^ “ ; Wres H i h t m the !H Songs co Sunday Programs i tling Eh ■°-o T ! iw S It is difficult to break down the type of programs into categories because of the overlapping between the types of programs. However, the following general per centage can be derived. 1. Entertainment material including television series, feature films, and children’s series and shows - 40 percent. 2. Religious material - 10 percent. 3. Educational programs including cultural and scientific material - 20 percent. 4. News including documentaries, political commen taries - 25 percent. 5. Sports - 5 percent. Several characteristics can be observed from the program schedule. In fact, some of them might be considered different and unique features to Saudi Arabia and many Arabian countries. - It is usual to schedule songs independently within the daily log. They are always "sandwiched" between two . • • non-variety programs. The best method for using songs as program material in themselves is inserting cheerful songs after tension-causing or relatively violent film in order to help the viewers, especially children, to relax. - The first sixty or ninety minutes of the daily program, after the religious material, is usually devoted to 233 children's programs. This is to allow most children to watch their programs and to help families arrange the sleeping time for their children. - Traditionally, as taken from radio, the program seasons (or cycles as they are called in Saudi Arabia) are set for every three months. This television production system of a thirteen-week series is used also by most countries in the Middle East, The programs are partially changed in the two holy months--Rama dan, the month of fasting in the Islamic religion, and Alhaj, the month of pilgrimage. These two holy periods come annually within two seasons, requiring relevent religious programs to be added while certain entertainment or non-serious programs are to be dropped from the schedule. However, because of the difficulty of procuring programming and the constant change and complexity resulting from the fasting and pilgrimage season, television management has never been able to maintain its tradition. It seems that it is bound to adopt the American system of program season (26 weekly-series programs). - Unlike the case here in the United States, the transmission Is usually increased during the summer, with no re-runs due to the fact that the students are on vacation. Consequently, this Increase would help them to occupy their leisure time. 234 - There are ten to fifteen minutes of prayer inter mission every day at about 8:00 p.m. (the time when all Muslems are performing the Evening Prayer). - The programming schedule is also affected by the national weekend (Thursday night and Friday) when programs are extended and the supplementary four-hours program period is given on Friday afternoon. This program consists largely of entertainment and sport shows. - The signing-on on television starts traditionally with the appearance of the announcer introducing and reviewing the highlights of the daily programs. It has been the tradition also for this continuity announcer to appear after and before certain programs for introduction, main taining in this practice a close intimacy with the viewers. This occasional appearance of continuity announcers has been reduced recently as an attempt from the stations to meet the shortage of announcers and to reserve them for the extreme necessary appearance. Sports programs are a form of entertainment for most people in Saudi Arabia. There are special periodic sports programs presented semi-weekly. These programs consist of interviews of famous players, and news about sports, the people connected with sports, and information on different local teams. In 1 9 6 6, the Ministry of Information signed an agreement with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs 235 for the rights to carry* live* the most important soccer games in the regular season and also the championship games. The Ministry of Information according to this contract pays certain fees to the local teams involved. Stations also buy the rights to show the Olympics games. Other international sports games— especially soccer* the most popular game in Saudi Arabia— are also received from the international syndication companies. "Shortly after the Riyadh* Jiddah and Dammam stations went on the air* mobile outside broadcast vans were pro vided for each station. Soccer matches* particularly the championship game* important ceremonial occasion* the King's-airport arrival and departures are usually covered. In Riyadh, state banquets honoring guest leaders are ■I video-taped or carried live." There are several' programs oriented to such special audiences as children* women, students and the Armed Forces. The children programs represent one of the best works of all locally produced materials. Many reasons have contributed to the success of these programs: First* all the children programs were initiated during the early experimental period of television. This extended experience gave more opportunity to develop more satisfactory programs . Douglas Boyd* op. cit. 236 as well as to accumulate much material for later use. In addition, there is the presence of competition between stations. Because of the different dialects in the major provinces, at least three of the five television stations produce three weekly children programs. (Other programs are produced only one time by one station and other stations work on different productions). This emphasis on children programs created the competitive situation between the stations to produce the best show. The basic elements for this type of program are children's songs, plays, interviews and cartoons. The station videotape libraries contain a considerable number of songs, music, and plays performed by children themselves and can be used later when needed. Sometimes, directors of these programs have the child himself perform as presenter, or narrator as an example to other children and to encourage them to be creative. Children programs are prepared usually by highly qualified women. Special small music bands work closely with the production team to help in the composition and performance aspects of these children programs. Although women now participate actively on a free lance basis in preparing programs or parts of programs, the programs for and by women are generally presented on a limited scale. Variety programs such as the TV Magazine devotes permanent fifteen or twenty-minutes segments which Station Riyadh Riyadh TV - - TV Flay Representative A A HP HP 4 ;>> 237 are prepared and presented by qualified women. Television management is highly enthusiastic toward the creation of independent women shows and it is hoped that the very near future will fulfill this hope. Among other specialized programs are those dealing with medicine* folklore* and programs presented by the Army* labor and students. During the past six years of television* there has been a considerable development of "specials"* those extra materials produced by the larger stations and not required as part of the regular program schedules. The stations have produced a number of television dramas that range from 30 to 90 minutes. The subject matter of this occasional production is either entertainment or historical drama about famous Arab ancestors and stories that played signi ficant roles in Islamic and Arabian histories. Television film and videotape libraries also contain hundreds of folk songs heard for many years in the Arabian Peninsula. Kept also is a large amount of program material of songs and plays for children which has been recorded in past years. Television is pursuing all efforts to keep and document activities that deal with national and patriotic purposes in Saudi Arabia. The phrase "public interest* convenience* or necessity" denotes one of the most controversial problems in the 238 American broadcasting. The fact that television in the United States is operated privately has caused regulators to express concern about maintaining a balance in pro gramming by giving appreciable time for public service programming in radio and television. The situation in Saudi Arabia., where television is operated by the government, is quite different. There is no such controversy and there are no written rules to govern programming^ but it is a familiar practice to put all of the program material in a public service context. As has been explained before, the social scene is very much different in Saudi Arabia from many other countries. Consequently, therefore, broadcasting is different. Of great importance, the country needs tele vision to educate and inform to help raise the intellectual level of the people. They also need the services of tele vision as an entertainment medium because their choice of recreation is limited. For these reasons, and with the limited channels of programming and limited time for trans mission, it has been found that the interest of society may best be served by providing a maximum number of public service programs including entertainment. Most programs contain some elements of interestingness to attract and maintain audience attention. This, of course, does not preclude the existence of pure entertainment, for example, 239 the variety type of program, hut most programs are Judged primarily in terms of creativity, and wha.t kind of cultural, moral and educational benefits are to be obtained. A large percentage of the total programs are mainly serious in nature but often are colored with entertainment material to maintain interest. Only a very small percentage of broadcast time is devoted to pure entertainment. The attitude of management might be described as being "Public conscious" at all times and making every program, regardless of type, a public service vehicle.' Thus, children programs are designed to develop character and discipline. Songs are used, for example, to engender the values of love, brotherhood and patriotism. Public service announcements are carried frequently and regularly, and injected into documentaries, news programs, panel discussions, speeches, on-the-scene reports from civic meetings, in school activities, and broadcasts of other local as well as national events. This is not to claim, of course, that television has met its full responsibility, but the primary motivation of programming is to do so. Freedom from advertising and commercial practices has made it easier to achieve these social objectives. So far there is no immediate plan to use television for instruction. If this idea is to be implemented, more equipment, studios and more personnel will need to be assigned. Priority has been given in the Ministry of 240 Information to the expansion of television network facil ities in order to cover the whole country. An instruc tional television service might be the next step. A large number of programs of an educational nature such as quiz shows, English language instruction, and scientific shows are now being presented. The stations' current capabilities now do not allow expansion into formal instructional programs. It is hoped that the integration of education and entertainment, as now being practiced, may lead the way to systematic instruction that may become an established part of the educational system in Saudi Arabia. In chapter XV, this student will pro pose his idea as to the feasibility of using existing TV facilities for educational and instructional purposes. In one sense there is an advantage in having television in Saudi Arabia controlled and financed by the government. This system allows broadcasting to be used as a principal means of culture and mass education--if it is directed this way--to an extent not possible In a commercial system. There is no pressure from advertisers who demand the larger audiences. The weakness of the Saudia Arabian system is the lack of variety and the absence of competition. The viewer tunes in the one program offered at any given time or he does not watch at all. There is a tendency to be slow in the development of new programming ideas. 241 For the time being, there seems to be no inclination to use commercials on television as now practiced in the United States. The only occasional type of TV commercials now used in Saudi Arabia is that where a station is supplied with props or prizes for drama and quiz shows and in return the station braodcasts at the end of the program the source of material furnished by a dealer or company. (In chapter XV, "A Search for Improvement,” this student will propose a plan for introducing commercials on a limited basis). The programs seen in Saudi Arabia are screened and censored in advance. This programming control is divided into two areas. First, local production is censored by the station staff. Every program manager in every station is responsible for clearing any locally produced material before it goes on the air. The news director in every station is in charge of reviewing and approving all films. Programs or news material approved by any station may not be censored by another station. The first censorship is considered final. Second, imported films and television programs and series are controlled by a "Central Committee.” This Committee usually works with the Film Department under the direct supervision of the General Director of Television, who also appoints the members of the Committee. The screening function is necessary in order to decide what is or is not acceptable to be broadcast from 242 a social, political, or religious point of view. In some cases there are occasional written instructions, but generally censorship relies heavily on common sense rules. The most significant general rule is that all material to be telecast should comply with traditional, religious and accepted morality. Scenes depicting scantly dressed persons on a show, violence or physical expressions of love, or intoxication are carefully edited. All instruction emphasizes that programs should avoid whatever will annoy the diplomatic relationships of Saudi Arabia with foreign countries, offend personalities, or degrade the Arabian, religious or national principles. Film companies dealing with the Central Film Acqui sition Department are provided with a list of general guidelines. The list, although not inclusive, gives an idea about specific scenes or subjects prohibited on the Saudi Television: 1 - All scenes that rouse sexual excitement of what ever kind are prohibited. 2 - Women shall not appear indecently dressed nor may they dance, or appear in overt love scenes with men. 3 - Women are by no means allowed to appear in athletic games or sports. 4 - Alcoholic drinks and anything having to do with them shall not appear on films. 5 - Wo downgrading reference whether explicit or implicit should be made to any of the Heavenly Religions. 243 6 - Other countries may not be treated with praise, satire or contempt. 7 - Anything relating to the Zionism or any activity practices by Zionists is by no means allowed to appear in these films. 8 - All material meant to expose monarchy is absolutely prohibited. 9 - On the whole all immoral scenes are prohibited. 10 - Everything considered as betting or gambling is utterly forbidden. Television News News is considered one of the most popular components on television programming. Filmed news gives viewers a chance to see national and international events as they occur at their original locations. Reporting international events occupies about two-thirds of the daily news. Three of the television stations in Saudi Arabia subscribe to the international television news agencies. Films received are prepared by these three stations at Riyadh, Jiddah and Dammam and they are sent to the other stations at Buraydah and Medina. Every station, of course, is in charge of covering its local events. Material received from abroad is reviewed by inter preters in order to choose whatever is suitable to be shown on television in com pliance with the stationfs policies. Films and translated scripts are reviewed by the editor in charge who indicateswhat film editing must be done or what unwanted scenes must be deleted. 244 The news director or the editor in charge is usually responsible for releasing all material related to the news department. However, all news material approved by any ■station may not be censored by the other stations. Agencies from which these stations receive news films are: Visnews of London, which provides a daily color or black and white film service: UPITN, United Press Inter national for Television News of London, which also provides daily news film service; and Radio Script from the British Information Service in London which supplies one news film every month. News films from each of these three agencies are sent by air every day to these three cities. This pro cedure makes it possible for each station to televise news happenings in one or two. days. The three television stations receive an average of 6,173 feet every week fromthe Visnews (equal to two hours and 45 minutes). They receive about 2,925 feet of news reels each week (the average of one hour and fifteen minutes) from UPITN. Saudi Arabian Television uses about 60 percent of the total films sent by these agencies. The stations attempts to be selective and would choose the best. It has been noted that about the percentage proportion of the Middle East coverage among the International happenings in these filmed materials is: 10 percent from the UPITN and 15 percent from Visnews. 245 Twenty to thirty percent of these items provide sound track. Costs of these services are based on the length of film received weekly. The three TV stations pay monthly about $2,500 to Visnews, and about $2,000 to the UPITN. These services usually provide the daily political, sports, variety news, feature stories, and long special reports such as the annual reports about the world happenings or anniversaries, Involving outstanding persons 2 and events. People rely heavily on television as a primary source for local, national and international news. Audiences see International news after they have been oriented by hearing news from radio or reading the newspaper. Local news is produced by both the news and photo graphy departments in the stations. Camera men are sent to cover events and the news editors contact those in charge of the events in order to have additional information for the news script. So far, none of the stations assign correspondents for the on-the-scene coverage. Radio news departments supply television with the up-to-date local, national or international news received from the wire service. None of the news staff is engaged in the on-the-air presentation. The system of news telecasting in Saudi 2Foa'ad Al-Alami In a letter to the writer (Feb. 1970). 246 Arabia does not require certain number of announcers or news editors to free themselves for news preparation and presentation All announcers, in these stations, work regular shifts to broadcast the news as well as to present other programs. Editing and other news tasks are done only by the news department This system exists in most of the Arabian television stations. It is believed that this method is not the ideal one. Those who present the news do not seem to absorb the material they present because they are not as knowledgable as they should be with news developments and current happenings. Since there is only six hours of telecasting each day, the news edition is presented only once at ten, at night, and late news headlines are usually given just before signing off. The nev/s programs which include documentaries, political commentaries and editorials occupy about 25 percent of the total programming schedule. Television Programs Procurement It was previously mentioned that more than fifty percent of the total television programs are produced by the local stations, and that the largest portion is done by the three main TV stations at Jiddah, Riyadh and Dammam. At the present time, there are no private television produc tion centers or syndication companies, it is hoped, as a next step, in the development of television that independent 2^7 program firms or station subsidiaries will be created for the promotion of this type of service and to reduce the production burden of the stations. The remaining portion of programs (about forty percent) is obtained from foreign suppliers, mostly the United States and the United Kingdom. The Lebanese market is the main source of distribution for material produced in Arabic. The U.S. and U.K. productions have been the dominant fare in the Middle East because of their availability. Syndication and production companies of the U.S. and U.K. have permanent representatives in Lebanon, who arrange for the various sale and renting contracts with television stations in the Middle East. Another reason for the dominance of American and British films is that English is spoken as the second language in Saudi Arabia. To facili tate and promote their productions, the American and British suppliers not only import the programming material but also translate them and print the Arabic subtitles as soon as it is discovered that there is an interest in using the materials. Of course, one should not forget that the United States now leads all other countries in the field of exporting programs. Wilson p. Dizard, a former united States Information Agency official points out that: "Almost every U.S. distributor is selling films at cut-rate prices 248 in Latin America, Africa and Asia against the day when O these markets will become stronger. The price per episode is closely keyed to the success of the particular vidfilm series in the producing country. Other factors, affecting the cost of programs, include the length of time the film is to be kept in Saudi Arabia, flexibility in deleting undesired shots or scenes from the films, and the non-commercial system of Saudi television. Programs are rented under one contract by the General Directorate of Television and are shown on all seven TV stations in Saudi Arabia. Renting or sale contracts differ from one company to another, but the average rental cost is $110 for one hour in a television series, $55 for a half hour, $125 for feature films and $12 for cartoons of five minutes. The Central Film Department, of about fifteen persons, is in charge of programming procurement from foreign sources and arranging^contracts with different international pro ducing companies and TV news agencies. Its function also includes the censorhsip of all imported material according to instructions received from the Director-General of Television, deleting unapproved scenes, and the distri bution of films to the five TV stations and the shipment of these films back to their original suppliers. W.P. Dizard, "American Television's Foreign Markets11 Television Quarterly, Vol. Ill, No. 3, Summer 19^4, p. 58*. 249 In the light of the Film Department's early experience,, a plan was made in 1968-1969 mee^ increasing demands for imported television programs. The total cost of pro grams imported that year was estimated at $492,750.00 4 distributed as follows: Price Per Type of Program No . of Series One Series Total $ Feature Films 104 $120 1 3 ,0 0 0 One-hour TV Programs 260 $110 2 8 ,6 0 0 Half-hour TV Programs 1,040 $ 55 57,200 Short Films (Misc.) 300 $ 30 1 0 ,5 0 0 Cartoons 750 $ 15 1 1 ,2 5 0 Arabic Programs 165 $1,350 2 1 0 ,6 0 0 Subtitling Service 104 $400 4l,600 Documentaries and Educational 200 $600 120,000 $492,750 This estimate was based on the assumption that the weekly television consumption of programs was: six half-hour series for children, seven half-hour news and documentaries, seven half-hour series of social, educational and entertainment Information was provided by Mr. Ziad Attar, Director of the Central Film Department, of the General Directorate of Saudi Arabian Television, in a letter to this student, Winter of 197 O. 250 programs, five one-hour TV series, two feature films, 1 three half-hour Arabic series, three half-hour dubbed programs and twenty five-minute cartoons, (total of one hour and forty minutes per week.) Programs imported through the Central Film Department consist of the following categories: 1 - Songs and plays in Arabic. The main source of this type of program is Lebanon, because of its central location, free commercial market and neutral political attitude in the Arab World. 2 - Dramatic series, including historical, cultural and social subjects. This type of material represents about ten percent of the total program schedule. It is largely recorded on video tape due to the lack of efficient film production for this type of -material. 3 - Feature films and television series in English, subtitled in Arabic, especially those treating social problems relating to individuals and family life. Gangster and violent films are carefully screened and rarely selected. This type of program material suitable for families represents about twenty to thirty percent of total pro gramming schedule. 4 - Documentary and educative material such as the Encyclopidea Britannica, the Canadian Encyclopedia and animal and travelling stories, are received with their scripts in English. They are censored, translated and then 251 given to the stations for narration. This type of material constitutes about ten percent of the total programming. The following list shows the main suppliers of programs for Saudi Arabian television: c 1. International Suppliers are:'' ABC Film, Inc. New York Associated British - Pathe Limited, London Encyclopedia Britannica, Beirut, Lebanon MCA TV Limited, Beirut, Lebanon R TV International, Inc., New York Screen Gems, Ltd., London Twentieth Century-Fox Import Corp., Beirut, Lebanon United Press International News Film Inc., London (News) United Artists, Beirut, Lebanon Warner Bros. - Seven Arts (F.E.) Inc., Beirut, Lebanon NBC International Ltd., New York I.T.C. Ltd., London BBC Television Enterprise, London CBS Enterprises Inc., New York Visnews Ltds., London (New Service) Television International Enterprises (Programs) Ltds., London 6 2. Arabian suppliers are: Badie1 Paul Corp., Beirut Ba'alback Studio, Beirut Emil Topelian Copr., Beirut Lebanon and Orient Television Channel 11, Beirut. International Company for Cinema and Television, Beirut Cinetelevision Company, Beirut As reported in August 1971* these are the names of English films and television series which have been used on an alternate basis, during the last several recent seasons. 5 Ibid. 6Ibid. < 252 All types of feature films playhouse 9 0* different stories on feature films. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Wrestling Dr. Kildare, a social type of film about life in a hospital. The Donna Reed Show Circum Boy Amazing 3> cartoon Three Stooges, comedy Jungle Jim, adventure Deadline, documentary Battle Line Perry Mason Combat Encyclopedia Britannica, educative The Virginians Wagon Train The Fugitive Arabic programs imported from the Lebanonese market are mostly the product of the two Lebanese television net works and the Lebanese private production companies. Classic plays relating to the ancient Islamic and Arabic history, and contemporary songs and comedies with such famous Syrian characters ’’Abo Sayah" and "Doraid Lahham," or the Lebanese comedy program "Haijjy Baba,11 are the dominant type of programming fare distributed from Lebanon. . During its first year of operation, the Saudi tele vision attempted to translate certain English television programs such as the British TV series "Thunderbird" and "Oliver," dubbing the Arabic sound. The experience failed to provide an exact syncronization. It also did not have the simple Arabic language. In addition to the problem, 7Ibid. 253 was the high cost of dubbing. This process was then limited to the translation of documentary, travelling, and other educational material, by the local stations. Arabic subtitles were thought to be sufficient for other tele vision series. The Program Problems There have been problems relating to program pro duction. These are discussed in the following section, and some solutions are suggested. When the original two television stations were first established in 19^5 there were no movie houses, night clubs, playhouses, or production of motion pictures in Saudi Arabia. If there had been any of the above mentioned they would have been of a great help in many ways, but television had to create its own production units and artists. In the other Arabian countries, television started in an artistic environment that helped programming production in television. There were players, script writers and artists and therefore they were able to create their own local production units reflecting the profiles of life in their societies. When one observes these other countries, he finds that artistic talent was available and well trained, and television could make a good start. However, in Saudi Arabia, the only source of talent and technicians was largely the radio station --a situation that for the most part still exists today. In 254 other countries many syndicated companies have been created to produce programs for the stations. One of the biggest problems for directors is the lack of talent available for programming. It is obvious that television "eats up" the programs so fast that it is difficult to meet its demands. When one observes the basic material for programming production, he finds that there is a limited number of vocalists, players, script writers, musicians, and composers. Also, there is a limited number of people who are suitable to be interviewed, such as those of high rank who might be introduced on a panel-type of program. (The writer experienced this situation in his weekly program The Friends Talk. After introducing fifty persons in one year, it was difficult to get additional guests of the same calibre needed.) This problem has caused the management to seek new sources of programming. The accumulation of a sufficient reserve of talent and an adequate reserve of participating people for programming is probably beyond the immediate resources of the television stations. Those who are available and used have been overexposed on many television shows and interviews. In Saudi Arabia there are many different dialects. It can be said, in general, that the principal dialects exist In the East, Center, West and the South. Some people from one area can hardly understand those from other areas— 255 especially children or elders. Young adults however* are now able to dissolve these differences and mass media have been a major factor in closing this gap. The dialect problem* however* has an effect on television production: for instance* it has been necessary to produce three different "children's programs" in three areas. However* as a medium of mass communications* television* it is hoped* eventually will develop a standard dialect that will help overcome the dialect problems. Saudi Arabia is the home of the Holy Islamic shrines and is regarded by the Islamic countries as a sacred land. Therefore* it has an obligation to exemplify the ideals of this spiritual country. In addition* the country is characterized by special social circumstances* only unified recently* and is in a period of critical transition. Less than fifty years ago the country was a tribal society. Its culture has been derived from a conservative past. All these factors have influenced TV production. There are many circumstances which restrict the use of many types of programs. Considerable time is devoted to religious programs. Imported programs are always screened in advance in order to meet all these reservations. Efforts are made to achieve the maximum po ssibility of producing and presenting the types of programs and still not conflict with religious 256 and social values and help to provide the public with a larger variety of entertainment and information. Because of the barriers of language and the differ ences in cultures, some people have a prejudice against types of foreign programs, such as Western imports from American or British producers who show programs with Arabic subtitles. One of the staff of Corps of Engineers described the American program as follows: American Programs can be and are being used in Saudi Arabia, but program content cannot be’ easily translated to the Arabian culture. For instance, American comedy would not be understood in Arabia any more than Arabian comedy would be understood in America...The culture of the two societies is too different to be able to apply American program content to Arabia...The Saudi Arabian students studying television production in America have learned good production technique and are applying these to their own program creation. 8 The management has had to minimize the quantity of this type of foreign presentation and it consequently has encouraged the increase of local production which can be specifically designed to meet the needs of the people. (As was men tioned before, local production reached about 60 percent of the total programming). The Audience So far, there has been no scientific research to measure the audience acceptance or rejection of various U.S. Corps of Engineers Letter, op. cit. 257 television productions. Conclusions are subjectives: * and are derived from personal contacts of management with individuals and from mail counting and analysis. No one can deny the premise of the importance of research: manage ment needs to know the answers to many questions. What do people individually and collectively think about television? What causes them to prefer one program over another? Television administration needs to have all this qualitative and quantitative data to help in decision making and provide a measure of audience effects. Unfortunately* this kind of information is not readily available. Judgment based on mail or personal contact is seldom an accurate criterion. Management may hear from a small segment of the audience when something is disliked but seldom do they receive priase from viewers and listeners. At this stage of development it is difficult for the station manager to meet with representative members of the unseen audience to learn their opinions and attitudes about the station. The subject of criticism and critics is another controversial one in any country* even in those countries having programming with a high artistic level and a choice of channels. It is hard, of course* to judge the validity of criticism. Sometimes the television management is faced with that kind of criticism which comes as a result of the critics unaware of technical limitations of operation. The 258 television administration has often been hampered by "superexpectations" from, possibly superficial observers who have little knowledge of the realities of broad casting operational circumstances. Men in administrative positions usually know more about the problems of their organization than some critics know. It is not unusual for them to read severe critical comments and complaints. It is, of course, possible that broadcasters can be so concerned about criticism that they may not devote as much time to promoting elevating tastes and higher standards of taste. The most vexing type of criticism is that blaming the station management for changes, cancellations, and program adjustments that are occasionally dictated to management by their superiors and who has no choice but to follow dictation from above. Broadcasters are put "on the spot" by this unjust criticism. It is the writer's opinion that there should, at least, be orientation programs designed to acquaint the critics and the public with all internal operations of the station and the nature of television work so that they, hopefully, will appreciate the struggles of broadcasters. Summing Up The key factor in determing public acceptance of television is programming— the determination of what program 259 to put on the air and at what point in the program schedule. The production and technical staffs of the stations work to little avail if they do not have effective programming leadership. The second half of 1 9 6 5* when the first two television stations in Saudi Arabia were put on the air, was a time of trial and experimentation for management since it had no previous professional experience. The programming schedules developed from nothing to two hours a day. Then, in 1966, the television administration found that the total of two hours every day was no longer enough, for people constantly demanded the increase of telecasting. In less than six months in 1966 and since that time programming trans mission has been expanded to reach the total of six hours for week-days and ten hours for the weekend. About sixty percent of programs are produced locally. Informational programs, that have cultural material integrated with entertainment, encompass about 60 percent of the total schedule: A number of popular television serials in the United States are shown regularly in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian television subscribes to three Inter national television news agencies which supply television with a daily package of international news service. Tele vision, also, shows regularly all the sports activities happening locally or abroad. Programs for women, children, 260 and other specialized audiences are given consideration in the schedule. The concept of "public service" is stressed in most programs* with entertainment elements included. Every program is judged primarily in terms of its effects on cultural* moral* ethical and other social values. Pure instructional television service or sequential education* has not been employed. All programs and newscasts are screened in advance as it is required that all material must comply with the traditional* religious and social morality of Saudi Arabia. All material must avoid whatever annoys the diplomatic relationships with other countries* 'offend personalities or distort the Arabian* religious or national principles. The Saudi Arabian television system is a governmental* non-commercial body and* so far* there has been no immediate signs of changing this system. PART FIVE OTHER COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS OPERATING IN SAUDI ARABIA INTRODUCTION Aside from the radio and television broadcasting, operated by the government, two other mass communication systems are included In this study. These two services have operated In Saudi Arabia with a minimum Influence or control from the government. These are the followingi Chapter XIII, The United States Armed Forces radio and television services, activated during the oper ation of The American Airbase at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and deactivated when the base agreement expired early in the 1 9 6 0's, Chapter XIV, The Aramco newspaper, radio and television now operating at the time of this writing. The next two chapters will be devoted to the discussion of the history and operation of these two systems. 26l CHAPTER XIII THE AMERICAN FORCES RADIO AND TELEVISION A radio and televsion service was maintained by the U.S. Air Force during the agreement which permitted the U.S. Air Force to lease Dhahran base. The pact started in the late 19^0 ,s.and was terminated in 1 9 6 2, In response to this student’s inquiry, Henry Valentino, now Special Assistant to Management and Oper ation at the Office of Information for the U.S. Armed Forces, and who was from January i960 to March 1961 the Station Manager of the radio and television station at Dhahran, reported that "former Secretary of the Air Force Harold E, Talbot visited Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in February 1955. He decided that if any Armed Forces Personnel should have television, Dhahran should be one of the first, Dhahran was approved for television. The station equipment was airlifted by MATS (Military Air transport Service) and the first program was telecast on June 17, 1955. " 1 1 In a letter to this student from Henry Valen tino, received care/of Colonial Mohamed Al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces Attache, Washington, dated Nov. 13, 1970. 262 263 Mr, Valentino went on to describe the station's operation as followsi We were an operating location of the 7122 Support Squadron with headquarters in Weisbaden, West Germany. As an affiliate of the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS), we received our basic radio and television programs from AFRTS - Los Angeles, Teletype news was received by short-wave from the United Press International in London, Reception was not always the best, however, making it quite dif ficult at times to prepare adequate radio and television newscasts.2 It seems that the major problem that the Dhahran station (AJL-TV) faced was that all programming, spare parts and extra equipment had to come in by air via MATS, across the Atlantic, across French, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and the wide area of Saudi Arabia to Its eastern boundary on the shores of the Arabian Gulf.^ Listening and viewing audience not only Included the Airbase personal but also the personnel of the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) and other English speaking people In Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other neighboring countries.** Regarding these matters, Mr, Valentino states; 2Ibid, ^Ibld.. p. 2, **Ibid, 26^ Our radio format was pretty much "middle of the road" providing 2^ hours per day of good listening music coupled with short features and news on the hour. Television programming consisted of the enter tainment shows that were current hits at that time. Westerns such as "Gunsmoke," situation comedies of the "I Love Lucy" style and the many dramas from Hollywood were favorites. News was an impor tant part of Dhahran television and, in addition to two daily 15-minute newscasts, many news specials were also locally produced. During the week, television was on the air for about six hours and on the weekends (Thursday and Friday) our telecast day was over twelve hours long. Keeping with the American customs, we usu ally provided some type of sporting program (baseball, football, basketball, etc,) on the weekend afternoons. The radio and television building was a fully air-conditioned cinder block building. All broad cast facilities were maintained in this structure except for the radio transmitter site which was located on the perimeter of the airfield. With the phase down of the U.S. Military pro grams at Dhahran base, the television portion of the Dhahran station was deactivated on 31 December 1961, On March, 19&2, the radio operation was deactivated. Since some Americans still remained, however, it was determined that basic entertain ment could be provided through a broadcast automated tape recording system using pre-recorded programs. This system went on the air on 26 July 1 9 6 3. In 196^, with the final phase out of the U.S. Military support mission at Dhahran, the automated tape station was deactivated on 18 October, 196k,5 It should be mentioned here that this television station was the first TV outlet to be built in the Middle East, followed by the television service in Iraq in 1957 %bld. and the Aramco television which was established at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, just a few months later, the same year, 1957. CHAPTEH XIV THE ARAMCO RADIO, TELEVISION AND PUBLICATION The Arabian American Oil Company "Aramco" is the name of the company franchised by the government of Saudi Arabia to have the right within "an exclusive area" to "prospect for, drill for, extract, manufacture, trans port, export oil and oil products," of some parts of 1 Saudi Arabia, Since 19^8, shareholders in this company have been Standard Oil of California, Texaco, Standard Oil of New 2 Jersey and Mobil, Aramco maintains its headquarters in Dhahran in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, where most of the production operations, chief executive offices and the company's management make their homes, Aramco maintains also Its own communication facil ities, which Includes radio and television stations and several Arabic and English publications, all operated 1Arabian American Oil Co, Aramco Handbook. (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1968), p. 112, 2Ibld. 266 26? in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Aramco Newspapers and Magazines Two newspapers and two magazines are published by Aramco to inform Arabic and English speaking readers about what is going on in the company. They contain in- depth features about oil operations, scientific advances, Islam and Arabic heritage, and items pertaining to poetry, history and social developments of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Aramco, a magazine edited and published six times a year in Beirout, Lebanon, focuses exclusively on the Middle East and on the influence that area has had on other parts of the world. The magazine has been pub lished in English since 19^9. By far the greatest part of its complimentary subscription goes to the United States, where readers of the magazine have an opportunity to become acquainted with the Middle Eastern scene "its people, history, religious beliefs and social develop ment, its notable sites and the oil Inductry which 3 touches so many lives in that vital region," Sun And Flare, two mimeographed weeklies started separately in 19^5» later consolidated in 19^6 and Issued by the company's Public Relations Office at Dhahran, ^Arabian American Oil Co, Aramco World. On. cit., p. 1 7 0 , 268 In 1955» It became the official organ for disseminating community news of employees of the company. Being published in English, the newspaper serves as a channel for company news to English-speaking employ ees, and as a community newspaper reports the social and recreational activities of the three oil production districts; Dhahran, Has Tanura, and Abqaig, In March, 1967 a special monthly Sun and Flare replaced the weekly edition, becoming the only regular source of company news available to the world press outside Saudi Arabia. Based on the 19^9 estimate of distribution, the newspaper is received by about 8,000 Arabian and Amer- it lean readers. Oil Caravan Monthly (Qafllat Al-Zait). is one of the best Arabic magazines in Saudi Arabia. It is a quality magazine with literary, scientific and indus trial contents. It is designed to inform its readers regarding various phases of the petroleum Industry and to promote friendly relations between the company and the public. And, as a part of its broad message, the mag azine reports on many aspects of development and pro gress in Saudi Arabia. it Based on information provided in a letter to this student by the Aramco Public Relations (Dhahran1 Saudi Arabia, 1970), 269 The first Issue of Oil Caravan (Qafllat Al-Zalt) was printed in October 1953 at Beirout, Lebanon. The original 15-page letter press publication has grown to a 50 page offset quality magizine with four-color covers. Since July, 196^, the magazine has been printed by a local printing company.in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Based on January, 1970 circulation figures, the Oil Caravan prints 29,000 copies, 80 per cent of which is distributed free within Saudi Arabia, "A 1967 reader survey Indicated that each copy of the magazine was read by eight persons with an over-all readership of about 2 5 0 ,0 0 0 (the 19^7 circulation was 26,300 copies). Approximately eighty-five per cent of the readers were under *1-5 years of age. Ninety-eight per cent of the replies to the reader survey approved of the magazine's format and content. The magazine receives about 2,500 letters annually."-* Oil Caravan Weekly (Qafllat Al-Zait). An eight- pages weekly magazine was first printed in October, 1959, as a complement to the Oil Caravan Monthly. It is Aramco's house organ for Arabic-speaking employees, reporting the company operations, future plans and acti vities. It also reports employee and community activ ities as well as major Saudi government and private 5Ibid, 2?0 industrial and agricultural projects in the area. According to a January 20f 1970 estimate, the Oil Caravan Weekly prints 12,350 copies with about the same circulation. Since May 5» 19&3, the newspaper has been published in a modern printing plant, in the city of Al-Khobar (about 10 miles from Dhahran) Aramco Radio Broadcasting It started being called the "music system", with a single low powered ten watt A.M. transmitter, coupled 7 with the distribution system in Dhahran. It is interesting to mention here that this system started in 19^8 one year before the Saudi Arabian govern ment established its first radio station in Mecca. At that time seventy-eight RPM records were played manually. The system was considered to be a power-line carrier system, that is, the signals were not broadcast or redlated, but could only be picked up by Dhahran residents--and sometimes not even them. Later, approval was received from the government to broadcast and trans mitter were officially put on the air. The system gradually grew until it took its present 6Ibid. ^Information on this radio station was mostly provided by Mr. M.H. A1 Khan, manager of Aramco's Public Relations in a letter to this student (Dhahran) on January 28, 1970. 271 form consisting of three networks with relays, accomplished by an PM and microwave telephone system connected to AM transmitters at remote locations. All the three networks are transmitted on FM and AM bands simultaneously. An announcement printed in September 1968 provided information on the various channels and the hours they are in operation* Channel No, 1 - hours programming, providing popular music andregularly scheduled daily news, Channel Wo. 2 - transmitting from six AM to twelve PM and providing popular, country western and jazz music. (This channel was used to transmit the English tele vision sound before the television station was changed, into an English-program station in 19^9). Channel No. 3 - programs of classical and semi- classical music only, from six AM to twelve PM. Aramco Television This is the leading television station located in the city of Dhahran, "leading" because it was the first Arabic-program station to be operated in the history of Saudi Arabia, and the second in the history of the Middle East, (A station in Bagdad, Iraq, had gone on the air in 1957 Just a few months before the station became operational in Dhahran,) It already has been Indicated 2?2 in the preceedlng chapter that the U.S. Armed Force television station at Dhahran was the first one in the Middle East, That station, however, was broadcasting an English program. The Aramco television operation was built by the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) as a private non-commercial station for the purpose of recreation and education, primarily for the company's employees and their neighbors in the surrounding area. The fact that the Aramco station is in Saudi Arabia and its programming is viewed by many people, it is necessary to consider briefly its history and contributions, Aramco television Channel 2, with the call letters HZ-22-TV, started broadcasting on the evening of Spet- ember 1 6 , 19 57 • For the first months, telecasting was limited to one hour's duration in the evenings from Saturday through Wednesday, Thereafter, there were telecasts seven days a week. In April, 1958, Channel 2 expanded its transmission to two hours, seven days a week. In August, 1958, the schedule was extended one-half hour. In January, 1959» telecasts were expanded to three hours daily. In January, i9 6 0, with the addition of more local programming, ®Most of the following is based on a letter to this student from Mr. Saleh Al-Mozaini, the station man ager. 273 the schedule was increased to twenty-seven and one-half hours weekly. Again, with more local production and the addition of two afternoon hours on Thursday and Friday (weekend) and holidays, the schedule reached thirty-five to thirty-seven hours weekly, for an average of a little over five hours per day. From two to three intermissions occur each day for observance of prayer periods. Prime time is considered to be from nine to ten P.M., local time. On September 16, 19^3, a repeater transmitter, was added to HZ-22-TV*s system, simultaneously telecasting programs on Channel 13. This new facility, unmanned and remotely controlled from Dhahran, is located 59 miles out In the desert. Its highly specialized, tear-drop signal is designed to concentrate power .in. a large population area where numbers of company employees reside and where Channel 2 does not provide good reception. Until January, 1964, local television programs were produced in a small, converted training school shope with a low ceiling and with inadequate lighting and acoustics. Since then, a larger, modern TV studio with full facilities have been constructed and most local programs emanate from this studio. The production of film for TV began in 1957 and today the improved quality and quantity of TV films produced, supports the studio TV production as an 2?4 lmportant part of the station’s programming. Program Content Since the inception of the station in 1957» the Aramco station was broadcasting in Arabic, but as soon as the Dammam government TV station was opened Nevember 5, 1969, the Aramco station began programming only in English, making it possible for a viewer in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia to watch two programs, one in English from the Aramco television at Dhahran and. the other in Arabic, from the Saudi Arabian Government station at Dammam, Starting in 1957* with a modest, cautious approach to programming, the TV schedule now can be compared favorably with offerings of a medium-sized TV station anywhere in the world. Before 1969, the weekly schedule was about as follows t Percentage Category of Total Local TV Local Film Impor Local News Events 2 2 Religion 3 4-0 60 Sports 14 10 90 Education & Information i7 59 8 33 Entertainment 29 11 * 7 82 (continued) 275 Percentage Category of Total Local TV Local Film Imported Feature Films 35 - - 35 Percent of Total 100# 25.2# 19.9# 5^.9# Local programs had Included programs (dally or weekly) relating to religion, safety, literature, health contests, developments throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, local sports, and general news events. Special programs were designed for children and women. Some filmed serials were presented. An Arabic and an English lesson was telecast five times each week. Imported programs ranged through the popular series shows from the United States such as Ben Casey. Perry Mason, "Bonanza," "Fugitive, "."National Velvet," "Expe dition," "Hazel" and "Rescue 8"; cartoons and various educational and entertainment shorts; U.S. feature films; sports programs, such as ABC*s "Wide World of Sports," bowling, golf, football, baseball, soccer and wrestling. Puppet shows, films of famous singers, and other enter tainment programs and feature films were Imported from other Arab countries. Before the transition of the station programs to English in 19&9 dubbed programs were telecast only in Arabic and simultaneously the sound of programs, originally In English, was broadcast via radio for non- 276 Arabic speaking viewers who then could watch the picture and listen to the radio sound. In order to telecast English programs in Arabic, the company had to develop a system of adapting English scripts into Arabic and dubbing the Arabic dialogue post-synchronously with the film, A fast,near lip- synchronizatlon system was found to be and was the most effective for Arabian Viewers, Again, before 1969, each week there were five feature Arabic films and four English-language films with Arabic sound dubbed in. The original English- language sound tracks, accompanying the latter, were broadcast via radio for the understanding of non- Arabic speaking members of the viewing audience, who constituted something less than four per cent of the total audience. During a typical week, the station broadcasts seven features originally conceived for U.S. television aud iences, These Include such familiar favorites as "Disneyland," "Sea Hunt," "Checkmate," "Rawhide" and the long running "Ozzie and Harriet Show," All programs are run without commercials. Watching non-commercial television in Saudi Arabia is a strange experience to those accustomed to the other kind. The artificial structure of dramatic shows, with a climax 277 leading into every advertising announcement, shows up ' plainly when the usual "message from our sponsor" is left out, ^ Aramco television gives extended coverage for major local news events. For the athletically-oriented members of the audience, the station covers a variety of major international sports events, as well as presenting the filmed"Telesport Digest" and with reports on basket ball, bowling, golf and wrestling, Soccer, which in Saudi Arabia occupies much the same place as football does in the United States, get thorough coverage. Matches between various company teams and those from other parts of Saudi Arabia and the world are filmed for later showing. That American hero, the cowboy, has found a home in the Arabian Desert with an assist from television. People in Saudi Arabia, like Lon doners, Parisians and Romans, have taken enthu siastically to the American horse operas such as "Rawhide," "Bonanza," "The Virginians" and others and follow these programs with much enjoyment, especially the young viewers, To counterbalance the entertainment aspects of programming, Aramco television devotes nearly a third of its air time to education. Classes in Arabic and English are presented and hundreds of viewers have ^"Aramco TV on the Air" Aramco World Aramcoi Hew York, N.Y., May 19^3. P. 5 - ^ 10Ibld. 278 written the station for television textbooks. Other educational shows had included until 19&9, "Channel 2 Bookshelf" (a survey of Arabic Literature)* "Your Home" (practical instruction for housewives)* "Auto School" (a review of safe driving practices)* "Your Health" (family hygiene* "Agriculture Show" (new farming methods); and "Science Classroom" and the American network television series "Modern Biology," The station broadcast many shows which combined education.and recreation. One example was a weekly series with the familiar question-and-answer format, the popular "Three District Quiz." This long-time feature took the first part of its title from the fact that the contestants consisted of employees from the three principal centers of company operation in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. All the contestants, com peting for modest prizes on Schoolbook Answers, were youngsters attending nearby government schools, and the questions they were asked came from textbooks actually used in the classrooms. (This was a good example of television providing a spur to do one's homework.) The interview program "A Cup of Coffee" brought before the camera notable Saudi Arabian personalities with dis cussion of their occupations, hobbles, or points of view,**' 11Ibld. 279 12 Administration Aramco Television Is a division of the Public Relations Department of Aramco. In 1968, the station had a total of fifty-seven employees. Forty-seven were Arabs, nine were from other Arabian countries and one was from the United States. There are now three Arabian women working in the programming and production devision. The immediate management personnel of tele vision are Mr. J.V, Knight, Vice President of Public Relations, in charge of television activities, and Saleh A. Al-Mazaini, Producer, in charge of station activities, Mr. Mozalni is a native of Saudi Arabia and had his professional training in the United States. Production Facilities Aramco Television is capable of producing more than 1,150 local studio shows and about 260 local film shows every year. Six hundred thousand feet of raw film has been used annually since 19&9 as well as five million feet of film handled through the laboratory. The studio equipment at Aramco consists of three RCA image orthlcon and one vidicon television camera chains, RCA film chains, two videotape recorders and one kinescope recorder, semi-automatic lighting supplied 12 Saleh Al-Mozainl Letter, op. clt. 280 by Century, and dual channel audio control units. For location film work, the station has several types of 16 mm cameras, including Arriflex, Eclair, Bell and Howell and Cine-Speclals. They use a Houston-Fearless processor and have complete facilities for titling, editing, repair and inspection, Aramco television uses the 525 line USA inter national system, in black and white, and operates on Channel 2 with a visual radiated power of 120,000 watts. The system offers "Class A" coverage for approximately 35 miles and "Class B" coverage of approximately 60 miles. The repeater transmitter at Dhahran, is directed primarily in a southerly direction toward the Hasa Oasis. Both transmitters are unmanned and are remotely con trolled from the station at Dhahran, Technicians are only required to be present for preventive maintenance, "Outages" average about one-half of one per cent of total air time in any given month. Using 525 lines, (the American system) causes the viewer who wants to watch the Dammam government station operating on the European system (625 CCIR) to use the adjustable set that is capable of carrying both systems. Viewing Audience The area covered by the signal includes most of the population of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the 281 Bahrein Islands, Quatar and the Trucial States. Dis counting occasionally reported "good reception" from Kuwait, Iraq and Iran and ships in the Arabian Gulf, the audience statistics are estimated as follows* Receivers Viewers per Receiver Total Viewers 35,000 10 350,000 Average viewers per set was estimated at ten in 1968, due to many public and open places where numbers viewing rah from 25 to 200 attending these places. It is possible that the number of sets have doubled now after the opening of the new government station at Dammam. Mail from viewers averages about 37»000 pieces annually, about ten per cent of which is general, unsolicited comments and the balance relating to specific shows, Over 2,000 persons each year are taken on con ducted tours of the station. PART SIX SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER XV CONCLUSIONS! A SEARCH FOR IMPROVEMENT "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate, yes, and. it can even inspire, but it can do so to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is merely light and wires in a box. " 1 Edward Murrow, 1958 Ed Murrow's memorable words are applicable to the situation of mass media in Saudi Arabia, the subject of this study. With his thoughts In mind, this chapter is written to provide some proposals that will speed improvements of the mass media in Saudi Arabia, Any meaningful reforms must be premised upon the ability of persons in charge of the media to be carried out, their intelligence, social conscience and a will ingness to act. Dreams are helpful but they are not enough. In this connection, those who lead need to be aware of the history of the country, its traditions, customs and mores, if the most effective use of the media can be made. There are complex problems and the suggestions 1Fred Friendly Due to Circumstances Beyond Our Con- trol (Vintage Books: New York, 1963) p, vil. 282 283 which follow may call for further critical study before action is taken. In previous pages some of the most important weak nesses and failures in the Saudi mass media have been noted. Those weaknesses are discussed here under the following categories, 1 , Policies and Function of Hass Media The first task in the development of mass media is to define the policies and functions of these media. Should they emphasize information, education or entertainment? Should they generate discussion and argument on controversal issues or should they divert public attention from such matters that may raise questions regarding the "establishment?'' Should they lead or should they follow tastes, values, and customs or should they attempt to combine functions by giving people what they want as well as trying to develop new wants. So far there has been no set policy for the mass media in Saudi Arabia, Except for some concern for a few religious or political values and taboos, there are no general poli cies or guidelines for programs that have been established 28^ by the Ministry of Information, for the press, or radio and television. The Ministry is no longer in its formative stage. Radio, television and press facilities have expanded to the point that the media should be ready and willing to formulate and institutionalize policies for the nation. There is the imperative need to achieve maximum social utility. Any such policies and codes should include not only the objectives and functions of the media but also comprehensive guidelines of what should or should not be broadcast, what should or should not be emphasized and what are the priorities and responsibilities. There should be no ambiguity. The mass media, in their need to a crystal clear policy are as Fred Friendly described them, "vital to the public interest as the national education, as crucial as the national defense, as as far reaching as the Cabinet and as relevent to beauty and aesthetics as all museums 2 and national parks." Mr, Aziz Dhia'ot, a prominent writer for both Saudi press and broadcasting has expressed the need for a well studied planning for program ideas, especially for those programs related to the nature of gov ernment policies and its international relations. 2 Ibid.. p. xxiv. We have been delighted to reach eighteen hours of daily transmissions but this means our con cern with quantity more than quality.3 In the.same interview, Mr, Dhia'a stressed concern for the need for more planning in light of the country's goals and that planning should be done by well-experienced journalistic and broadcasting commissions and should take into consideration the psychology of people and the deep understanding of the factual situa tion in the area. Except in the political editorials, other programs do not reflect the identity and person ality of the Kingdom and in many cases the policy of the country is going toward one direction while its radio is proceeding in the other. Unless we have a plan based on sincereity, experience and destiny, taken from our own life and nature, it cannot be said the media are serving the country,^ With a realistic and acute awareness of all polit ical, social and religious problems, mass media have the responsibility to participate actively in bringing about modernization and change. This student believes that mass media can perform great schievements once they are properly oriented, and set forth clear objectives. The media can open a wider door for cultural richness, and uplift people's taste, stimulate though, and raise educational levels. ^Interview by this student, V/inter, 1970 ^Ibid. 286 Mass communication can instruct the disinterested, the ignorant, the misinformed and the apathetic. But to do this, mass communication must lead, not always follow. In a country with a high degree of illiteracy, the leaders in mass media should be enlightened and inspired by the "concensus of rationale men both contemporary and those in centuries past whose ideas have been transmitted to us and constitute an important part of the cultural heritage," This student also feels that the responsibility of mass media is to give priority to education and Infor mation as against entertainment until the country over comes its illiteracy problem. Educational materials on both radio and television should be increased as long as there is reasonable receptivity on the part of the people. In their educational campaigns, mass media can, to- some-extent, performcertain essential services; they can widen horizons, focus the attention, raise aspirations, create climates for development, change strongly held attitudes or value practices, feed the interpersonal channels, broaden the policy dialogue, enforce social norms, help form taste and they can help substantially ^frora Walter Lippmann's thoughts, quoted In Dr, Walter B, Emery*s book National and International System of Broadcasting (Michigan State University Press 19o9) p. 1 2. 287 6 in all types of education and training, 2. The System Analyzing the present system of the press, owned by national companies, and the system of the broadcast media, owned and operated by government, has shown that the systems have their weakness and failure as well as their strength and success but both have never been sub ject to an evaluation by a national study by experienced commissions or authorities in the field. In Chapter VI this study has attempted to pinpoint several shortcomings underlying the new Press Act of 1963 on which the present press establishments system has been based. This does not mean that the system cannot work. However, it can work effectively only by evolution and by adapting to changed conditions and needs. The study has further suggested that a national study is needed. Such a study could be approached by creating a special commission composed of government officials, newspaper representatives, scholars in the fields, writers and experts from other countries. The commission would have a mandate to recommend and devise the best possible structure or combinations for Saudi 6W. Schramm Mass Media and National Development (Unesco Paris, 196*0 P. 126 288 Arabia in terms of its social context and needs. This study has also proposed in Chapter XI that radio and television system of control be considered. The concept of a public corporation, already adopted in many government agencies could be a compromise in radio and television between direct government control and private ownership. The administration and financing of radio and television need to be divorced from the govern ment bureaucracy, while greater self-censorship would be exercised within the framework of explicit laws and policies set down by the Ministry of Information. This would free program managers from the bureaucratic mire that sometimes hampers the imagination, creativity and financing of programs while saving the government the embarrassment of having to support and directly super vise official policy over all broadcasting. One primary advantage to this proposal would be the managerial flexibility which would be provided. The board of directors would have the basic authority to govern the affairs and activities of the corporation. An extremely important power would be to provide for the hiring of officers, and employees, determining salaries and other benefits as might be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the public corporation. In this way the board of directors would be in a position to select the right kind 289 of persons in the right kind of jobs and give them the freedom to work toward the objective and purposes of the corporation. As a public corporation entity (as it Is defined by the Institute of Public Administration of Saudi Arabia), It would be free from the personnel re quirements of Civil Services and the financial laws which normally apply to governmental ministries, agencies, and establishments# This format would also have some degree of Inde- pendance from the government in conducting Its fiscal affairs. To some extent, it would be free from the close budgeting review by the Ministry of Finance and other agencies which often tend to have a stifling effect in tte area of creativity. As a public corporation, it would also be free from the government procedural and adminis trative regulations that could impair its effectiveness in developing programming. 3. Qualification Standards If the country accepts the notion that mass media should be operating in the public Interest and that they shoudl function in a public educational role, and if programming objectives should be In line with well estab lished and defined national goals, and If mass media must lead not always follow, personnel with high qualifications 290 are needed. And especially are needed capable executives to lead the way. Radio and television broadcasting enters practically most of the Saudi homes, educating, entertaining and informing. Those who prepare the programs ought to be enlightened, well-educated, and with a high sense of social responsibility. The country should appreciate fully the serious effect the media can play upon the public during this stage of national development. If the country accepts the fact that the broadcast media are as "vital to the public as national education and as crucial as the national defense" as Hr. Fred Friendly indicated, then the media are entitled to receive as much attention and care as these other functions carried on by government agencies. At the present time, more than half of the executive positions in the Saudi Arabian press, radio and television are held by high school graduates who actually are not qualified to direct and lead in these mass media fields. And so far, the Ministry of Information has not seriously considered any steps for developing capable management and leadership. During the last four years, only two or thres have been sent abroad to get higher education with a general background and training in mass communication. The Ministry might believe, presently that its needs for 291 engineering is more important. At the present time about fifteen students are pursuing their college education in Electronic Engineering at Arizona State University* However, the Ministry is justified, this student believes that raising the qualification standards for top management is just as important as engineering, if society is to achieve maximum benefits from the media. The Ministry, because of lack of qualified person nel to appoint, promotes those with only a high school education to fill higher executive positions such as station manager and program manager. This has resulted in undesirable consequencest first, their broadcasting work, being full time, does not give them the chance to pursue even part-time education. Second, early appoint ments tend to cause employees to feel that, since they and their peers have been approved by the Ministry, they feel that there is no longer need for higher education and training. An example of this malpractice was the appointment of the late Program Manager of the Hiyad TV station, a 26 year old man, with a high school education and one year of production training from the RCA Institute in New York, For the past three years he held his position as head of Program Department but as soon as the Ministry could do without him by finding another more desirable person with the same age, level of education, and experience, the first 292 one was assigned as a director in the production area, unable to retain a similar job, and sorry for missing his educational caravan during those three years of work. To remedy the situation, this student suggests the followingi 1, That any future appointments be restricted to those college graduates in fine arts, business or publio administration with on-the-job training, observation and orientation programs while sending those potential mana gers to pursue their higher education abroad, 2, And/or that whenever the Ministry can do with out anyone of those appointed previously, he should be given the chance to complete his education, since he possesses the basic characteristic needed for the admin istrative jobs. The remedy for these situations is for well- prepared educational programs with broad areas of study and training, with ability to anticipate and meet new problems. This plan should be given major priority. Such a program should Involve training in various fields and activities— on-the-job training, communication theory, journalism and broadcasting courses in university courses, sending students abroad to study broadcasting and journalism, organizing workshops, seminars, encour aging self-improvement and making available all needed 293 literature in communication, fine arts, management, etc, A part of the program should be a system of incen tives and rewards— such as giving awards and prizes for those providing distinguished achievement in management, 3n production, etc,, encouraging part or full-time enrollment in schools, giving priority in scheduling night shifts, to those who go to schools during the morning hours or vice versa, or making eligibility for government scholar ships, promotions, bonus, or for over-time work based upon high educational and professional accomplishments. Organizational Structure Organizational structure has much to do with effi ciency of management and operation. In this regard, Saudi Arabian broadcasting presents a gloomy picture. The first move that should be done is to coordinate,, consolidate and group functions in accordance with the overall objectives of the organization. This move to centralize different departments is needed to promote « cooperation and facilitate effective executive leadership. Centralization is not meant in an authoritarian sense but rather to facilitate good working relationships among departments, and to avoid duplication and overlapping of responsibilities. An example of the present confusion may be noted. In both Jiddah and Riyadh TV stations, there are at the 294- present three different job situations which are not related nor consolidated with each other. The Station Manager, concerned with the administrative and financial aspects of the station, reports directly to the Director- General of Television Broadcasting; the Program Manager, who is in charge of all production and programming functions, reports directly to the Director-General; and finally, the News Director is responsible for the News Department and contacts the Director-General in all matters related to his department. This method was gradually created by the Ministry because of the llm-f ited ability of those three executives who have not been thoroughly equipped for their jobs and who have not had the kind of training needed. This odd situation not only exists in Riyadh where the Director-General is stationed, but also in Jiddah where all the three have to report to him through mail correspondence. This situation not only hampers the coordination of work but also helps to develop vested interests and bureaucracy. The result is organizational instability, unbalance and ineffectiveness. The only remedy, it appears, is to create effective, centralized supervision in each station that will manage all functions, of the station and be made responsible to the Director- General of Television Broadcasting, 295 While centralization is very important especially in government owned stations where programming mistakes should be traced back, and where centralization is an instrument for command, it should be emphasized here that decentralization is also necessary for the flow of work, and to allow for flexibility and freedom of action. The top management at the Ministry and the station man ager should delegate as much as possible authority to the station departments, and expect these departments to give acceptable performance in terms of the work load as defined by management, 5, Research Unfortunately, as the case with many developing countriesra little communication research has been done in Saudi Arabia, Exact circulation figures as to newspapers, percentage of set saturation, audience research, adminis trative surveys, etc, are non-existent. Programs are cancelled, produced, moved, changed, rescheduled and modified according to personal taste and judgement of the program manager or some member of the top Ministry*s Officials, New stations, new department divisions are created without prior knowledge whether there are suf ficient funds and personnel to operate them. Reliance on personal observations and judgement have determined largely the broadcast operation. 296 Research is needed to gather reliable, systematic, and accurate information. Research is not in opposition to subjective observations, but is simply more reliable 7 as a basis for policy judgements and effective action. In programming, research is an important means of getting audience feedback and measuring effects. Man agement has a basic task with research to conduct con tinuing research, and to get systematic feedback from the audience. Feedback is helpful to evaluate claims or speculations as to popularity of programs, or find out the desires of the audience whether to modify programs or to reschedule programs, A research department should undertake the fol lowing activities;. 1, Gathering, tabulating, and examining mall correspondence, 2, Translate related research materials from such organizations as Unesco, FCC, NAB, and EBUj and review codes of ethics, regulations, and standards available from broadcasting systems in other countries, 3, Conducting short-range research projects which may develop into lang-range projects If the department budget permits, ?W. Schramm, Mass Media and National Development, O p . oit. p, 181, 297 4. Keep up and gather relevant data, documents and articles published by the press, or issued by other gov ernment agencies, 5. Keep careful and up-to-date records of the media's development, its budget, its hours of transmission, number of employees and other statistical information having to do with housekeeping. This department should be headed by a research practioner or specialist and should maintain a constant contact with other government departments. The kind of information that a department can supply includes background Information about the number of radio and TV receivers, people's availability to listen or view, program tastes, interests, and types and size of audience, 6 , Consolidation of Duplicated Services Saudi Arabia, with approximately six million inhab itants, with technical and programming proficiency operating seven TV stations, two major Arabic radio channels, two English radio programs, two French radio programs, four other African and Asian programs and one religious program, six dally and three weekly newspapers, many other weekly and monthly magazines— all this is impressive. Also, Saudi Arabia has a vast geographical area and is consid- ered one of the richest countries In the Middle East, 298 But these facilities for broadcasting and the richness of this country’s material resources alone do not make a high quality mass media system. About half of all announcers, engineers, are hired from foreign countries and a sizable segment of radio programs are Imported from Lebanon, the main Arabian market for broadcast production. The shortage in radio and TV programs and lack of sufficient qualified announcers have caused broadcasting stations to fall short of reflecting and promoting the country's cultural heritage which includes its dialects, music and soflfes• . The heavy expenditures for equipment, have forced the Ministry to neglect the prograraatlc and administra tive matters. The result is, the media, from a socio logical point of view, are far behind in many other countries with their modern methods. This student firmly believes that in order to have a high quality broadcasting service in Saudi Arabia, the following actions should be takem The two English services of six hours each in Riyadh and Jiddah should be integrated into one and broadcast by link over both transmitters, and the same should be done with respect to the two French programs. The two major Arabic programs of 18 hours each from Riyadh and Jiddah should be consolidated into one 299 single program either by cancelling one of them or by way of presenting one half of the program schedule from each station. The proposed television network mentioned earlier, now being considered by the government, once it is Implemented, a full connection between the seven television stations should take place, retaining only a minimum of local programs in the areas where the stations are located. If these proposals were studied and carried out it might not only save the extravagant expenditures, and reduce the redundancy of services, but It would reduce the managerial burden and preserve the quality of pro gramming, A similar move should also consider consolidation of daily newspapers especially in the city of Jiddah, where fourdailies are Issued, The present circulation figure of about 10,000 copies per newspaper, the low readability percentage, the slow transportation facilities with small towns, and the fact that the press has not yet achieved stability— all these require a careful consideration as to how many newspapers the country can actually afford and maintain efficiency. 7, Instructional and Public Service Programs The great power of radio and television is that they 300 can continue to educate those who are in or out of the classrooms. If used properly, the media can provide con tinuing information and education and raise the intel lectual level of the people. Radio and Television should be used to inform the general public and, through instructional programs, give special help to housewives, older people and pre-school children who have special enucational needs. Of special Importance , the media should step up its campaign to eradicate illiteracy. The spread of television In Saudi Arabia has given rise to the hope that it will bring about a great improve ment in the cultural and educational level of the people. Television, It has been clearly shown by experimentation in the United States, Europe and Japan that the medium can be used as an effective tool for instruction. It has been demonstrated that the pre-school child can speed up the learning process and the broad programs of adult education can be carried on effectively. Dr, I, Keith Tyler; who provided expertise in Egypt in Its Illiteracy campaign in the early 1960's gives his views about the necessity of employing this medium to combat illiteracyi Television dispels much of the fear and uncer tainty about the use of this effective, but expensive medium, the advantages of using instruc tional television are such that it pays off both 301 In terms of quality of instruction in terms of using teachers,..Instructional television can be of major assistance in the world campaign over the next ten to fifteen years... Television stimulates illiterates to begin and continue illiteracy training, 8 Because of the immensity of illiteracy problem, which has not yet been tackled by radio and television, and because of the shortage of trained, teaching per sonnel, experimentation to determine effective uses of mass media is essential. Carrying in mind the technical financial and personnel capabilities of the Saudi Arabian television system at the present time, this student, proposes that an illiteracy campaign for teaching the principles of writing, reading and arithmetic, be urgently considered for Illiterate wives, farmers, and workers. Without hindering their daily responsibilities, a program should be worked out that would broadcast at a time when these target audiences would be available, and at times when listening would be convenient. Once the proposal is executed, tested and proved successful, the experimentation should be extended to include instructional services and programs for pre school children. These programs should be planned and produced in terms of the total framework of literacy campaign in full cooperation with the Ministry of Eduo- ®I. Keith Tyler '•Combatting Illiteracy with Tele vision" (O.S.U. unpublished, undated, article). 302 The powerful Impact of TV upon children is already known. Therefore, 1 television should give great attention to informal educational needs of pre-school children, particularly those children whose families are financi ally unable to enroll them in kindergartens, A second point, public service announcements throughout radio and television programs should be increased. Public service announcements have already been used at the present time, but there are still fur ther areas of health and social problesm which need to be vigorously combatted such as smoking, drinking, fast driving, etc. 8 , Creation of Mew Activities and Services There is a wide range of activities and services not now being used, that might contribute to the effec tiveness of the mass media in Saudi Arabia. These are merely suggestions that might well be explored. A, Membership of International Organizations! World and regional broadcast organization have offered their knowle dge and experience to the developing countries in solving the increasingly complex problems of broadcasting. For exaiaple, includes the series of sponsored world confer ences on educational radio and television, the role of tip media in national development, international broadcasting 303 seminars, and workshops In news, production and other fields. The Saudi Arabian broadcasting system, which has not yet affiliated with any international organization, could surely benefit by membership in such organizations as AS3U (Arab State Broadcasting Union), EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and ABU (Asian Broadcasting Union). B, Advisory Council> With the lack of audience research in Saudi Arabia as this time, there should be a citizen's council to express opinions on the type and quality of programming presented via radio and television,and to counsel regarding programs for the over-all public Interests and needs. The council should represent all concerned groups Including those persons with special knowledge in the arts, letters, science, entertainment, radio and television and those concerned with social problems, including welfare of the home, family and children, C. Private Production Centers» Saudi Arabia is paying thousands of dollars every year to the foreign companies to produce documentary films with hundreds of prints in various languages. It also spends a sizeable amount of money to buy radio and television entertainment programs from Lebanese, American and British companies. 30** Saudi Arabia will not, of course, be able to pro duce all its broadcast needs within the forseeable near future. But the country should begin to make long range plans to produce much of its own audio-visual material. Encouragement and support should be given by the govern ment to the creation of a private, national radio, TV and film production units to promote rapid development of production of this nations programs which will reflect more accurately the people's culture and national objec tives. To overcome the difficulties of insufficient resources, Saudi Arabia could draw up cooperative re gional programs, Arab countries could, through the ASBU in Cairo or the Coordination Center for TV and Film in Beirut, study the possibility of pooling their resources, jointly using studios, laboratories and other instal lations, By establishing syndication companies costs could be greatly reduced. The Arabic Sesame Street might be used as a pattern for ideas to be undertaken by such a center. Saudi Arabia is now too dependent upon mass media resources from outside, with much of it contrary and irrelevant to the national character, Saudi Arabia,of course, should import from materials abroad but there is need for a balance in terms of local production. The pro 305 posed center could be helpful In this regard, D, Broadcast Institute; Already suggested Is the Idea of establishing a telecommunication Institute, a joint venture of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Communication and the United Nations for technical studies needed for radio and telephone communication. This chapter, however, calls for the expansion of. this institute, or possibly another one, to encompass a wider range of broadcast, music, journalism and film production, Such an Institute could have a far reaching effect on the quality of programming and help solve the present problems resulting from lack of trained staff and could help initiate research studies, seminars, and confer ences, E, Advertising; While commercial television Is not advocated? but if and when it is Introduced in the future, be prepared to establish criteria to insure that manage ment will avoid the abuse of advertising to the detriment of public service programming. In Saudi Arabia, as mentioned previously, at the present time there Is a small amount of Indirect advertising In broadcasting. The mention of names of companies Is allowed where these companies devote materials such as props and prize money in connection with quiz shows, plays, and variety broad 306 casts. The pressure may Increase to provide more adver tising and the Ministry and stations should think care fully and not be overwhelmed with commercialization as has been the case in some countries. If the present system of broadcasting should be changed into a public corporation as it is proposed in t this chapter, limited advertising could provide addit ional financial resources and eventually could reduce the burden of costs to the government which increasingly will become a drain on the public treasure. But what ever may be done, advertising should always be subordinate to the programming and if used, should be used to im^ prove it in the public interest and not be used primarily for the private interest. Type and amount of advertising on television should be determined by the following rules* The total amount of time given to advertising should not exceed two minutes an hour averaged over a day's broadcast. Advertising should not be Inserted in the course of any individual program. Preference should be given to indirect com mercial messages such as those being used, now. Advertising must conform to all laws, and regu lations, health and religious standards and practice. 30? The allocation of advertising messages should be left to the discretion of stations rather than to the advertiser, to avoid an unbalance in programming which often results where the advertiser, consumer oriented, tends to dictate broadcast schedules with a primary interest in selling goods. What ever commercial practice is followed, TV advertising should stimulate production, and should encourage the consumptlo of goods pro duced at home. To insure living up to these standards, the Director-General of Broadcasting should have discretion to distribute the amount of adver tising for all stations. P. Press Distribution Center; So far, there are few established systems of press distribution outside the major cities of Saudi Arabia, Although the government exempts newspapers from paying airfreight duties, still in small remote towns, often the newspapers may not reach the customers from five to seven days after publication. Distribution is slow and becomes a serious circulation * problem. Press interprises and transport organizations should join in a cooperative and coordinated effort to distribute newspapers, and periodicals. 308 G, The Press Indices* Wot now available is a systematic alphabetical listing of publications. There should be some kind of central listing and a depository for these materials for scholars. The Aramco's Library at Dhahran and the Institute of Public Administration have tried to apply some of this work to the official Umm A1 Qura. But the Press Industry and the Ministry should take responsibility to see that more adequate facilities are provided, H. Moral and Ethical Standardsi Although the government has the basic responsibility, codes of ethics for broad casters and journalists could be established. These codes of ethics should emphasize public service, and financial gain, as a motivation, should be minimized. Basic to any adequate use of the media, regardless of the system which prevails, is the need to establish a profession with standards of conduct and safeguards to protect the public. These standards are essential for station managers, writers, producers, technicians, engi neers, and other policy makers and creative individuals. Observance by journalists and broadcasters of ethical standards is a social imperative. Codes alone, however, without some machinery of inforcement, are not likely to have much success. CHAPTER XVI SUMMARY It is impossible to understand, how mass media in Saudi Arabia have developed throughout the years unless one first understands certain basic national charac teristics of the country. Modern Saudi Arabia was united by the King Ibn Saud in the first third of this century. He imposed uniformlaws and brought order to the major section, the westerr section on the Red Sea, called Hijaz, the central desert region which is called TJajd and the eastern section on the Gulf, which proved to be rich in oil after World War II, Today, Saudi Arabia has retained its stability in a part of the world that had been constantly shaken by violence and torn with small shlekdoms and princi palities. In area, Saudi Arabia is about one third the size of the United States, with an estimated population of six million. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy based on Islam. There is no constitution, but the legal and 309 310 political affairs are settled within a religious context. There is a high rate of illiteracy, and until three decades ago, the country was geographically isolated. Also, because of its long history, most of the population is strongly oriented toward religion. Because of the long established conservative attitude, the people vigorously resist change and to achieve reforms it becomes necessary to conduct extensive educational campaigns to alleviate the social shock. The introduction of modern technology, the establishment of government bureaucracy, the dissem ination of education, the provision of health services, the settling of nomads and their transportation into modern farmers, the emancipation of women - all these radical changes over the life-span of two generations truly constitute a difficult challenge for the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Within this historical and social context, review of mass media developments is presented in the following pages. It is important to remember that all Saudi Arabian mass media - radio, television, the press including books, magazines and pamphlets and motion pictures are regu lated and controlled by the Ministry of Information, Also, visits of journalists from abroad and exchange of infor mational material with other countries are all supervised, 311 financed and controlled by the Ministry,. The first known newspaper appeared in Al-Hijaz, the western province of Saudi Arabia in 1908. Al-Hijaz at that time was not under Saudi rule. This first paper was named after the country's name, Hijaz. This and other publications continued for two decades. When Saudi Arabia was officially united in 1932, other news periodicals appeared starting with Umm A1 Qura, still published as the official gazette of Saudi Arabia, Publications which appeared until 196^ were pri vately owned, franchised by the government to their respective individual owners. But since 196k t most newspapers and periodicals have been published by eight press organizations administered by board of directors with autonomous powers in accordance with the provisions of the Press Law which passed in 19&3. Those organi zations which took over from the old small private firms are privately owned by groups of individuals, most of whom are experienced in newspaper publishing and admin istration. There.is also a number of popular periodicals published by the government and by the Arabian American Oil Co, Prom a legal point of view, the press is not subject to restriction and has freedom of expression to coverage of the news. Actually, however, the Ministry does »#£ exercise regulatory jurisdiction as pointed above• 312 Radio "broadcasting started in 19^9 with a small 2.5 KW transmitter in the city of Jlddah and the adja cent Holy City Mecca. It operated seven hours daily with emphasis on religious programs. During the early 1960's radio broadcasting and other informational and publication departments of the government were consolidated and transferred to the pre sent Ministry of Information, During the decade of the 1960's, there was an increase of radio programs from seven to about seventeen hours per day with more balanced, and diversified schedules. Another Arabic program was initiated in Riyadh with seventeen hours of programming per day. In addition to those programs in Urdo and Indon esian new ones were started in English, French, Persian and Swahili. This expansion was accompanied with major technical projects, training programs and administrative growth. At present, medium and short-wave transmitters operate with a combined power of about 1,700 killowats of power . Television in Saudi Arabia started in 19^5 when the government acknowledged the social, cultural, and political needs of the nation. The Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Information to construct the first two stations in the two largest cities in Saudi 313 Arabia, Riyady and Jiddah, These stations started oper ation in July, 1965. The Ministry found that in order to secure the best and most up-to-date quality of construction, equipment, and operation, it was necessary to entrust the estab lishment to a very highly qualified professional organ ization which could undertake all of the technical sup ervision. An agreement was signed in January 196^, between the United States and Saudi Arabia to provide the technical supervisions. The agreement stated that the U.S. Corps of Engineers would represent the U.S. Government to inspect, supervise and advise with technical planning for operation and maintenance of equipment and monitor the student training program. This agreement expired by the end of 1970. In 196^, the Corps of Engineers gave the first sub-contract for operation and maintenance of equipment to the National Broadcasting Company International, Under the agreement, NBC International mobilized qual-' ifled engineers and experts in the television industry who could supervise installation of equipment and assure early and fault-free operation in Saudi Arabia, After the expiration of this contract with NBC International, a new one was awarded on October 10, 1968 to Avco 314 Electronic Division of Cincinnati, Ohio, As soon as the two stations began transmissions on July 17* 1965, television antennas became a familiar phenomenon showing a high degree of public acceptance of television. People started to adjust their habits to the broadcast schedule and refashion their living rooms to accommodate television sets. Looking at television as a leisure-time activity was the great common denom inator of the people. In 1965, after completion of the plans and con struction, and the beginning of operations in the first two governmental television stations, the Ministry of Information started thinking of expanding this service. Two repeater transmitters were built and connected to the station at Jiddah by means of microwave link in 1967, covering the Holy City of Mecca and the city of Talf, the summer resort in Saudi Arabia, In December 1 9 6 7 , the third station went on the air in the Holy City of Medina. In July, 1 9 6 8, the fourth station was started in Buraydah, in the agricultural province, Al-Caseera. On November 5, 1 9 69, a fifth station was opened in Dammam, the largest city in the Eastern Province, the center of petroleum production. The following table summarizes television growth of these operationst 315 Antenna Date Station Power Channel Direction of Operation R iyadh 2 KW 5 Non-direc, July 17, 1965 J iddah 2 KW 10 Semi-direc. July 17. 1965 Medina 5 KW 5 Semi-direc, Dec, 30, 1967 Buraydah 5 KW 8 Semi-direc. July 14, 1968 Dammam 25 KW 9 Semi-direc, Nov, 5, 1969 Mecca (repeater) 2 KW 7 Semi-direc, Aug. .1967 Talf (repeater) 2 KW 8 Semi-direc, Aug. 1967 The next proposed steps In the expansion of tele vision service to cover the country are as followst 1, To provide a microwave link network which will connect the existing stations plus additional satellite stations in the northern and southern parts of the country. This network, will he capable of covering all of the populated areas in Saudi Arabia. 2, To construct permanent headquarters at Riyadh the capital, as central control station for telecasting throughout the Kingdon of Saudi Arabia, This center will be a three-story building with four studios in addition to the existing one. 3, The conversion to color television is scheduled to coincide with the completion of the permanent faci- lty in Riyadh. 316 In programming, each of the five television stations now transmit daily six hours of programming. On Thursday night and Friday (the national holiday period of the week) these schedules expand to ten hours a day. Types and quantity of program content are as follows: religious material, ten per centj entertain ment, forty percent: education, twenty per cent: news and documentaries, twenty-five per cent* sports, five per cent. Of the total programs, more than 50 per cent are produced locally, mostly in the three main largest television stations of Riyadh, Jiddah and Dammam and the remainder is imported from different sources, usu ally from the United States, Britain, or Lebanon, Saudi Arabian television subscribes to three international television news agencies which supply television with a daily package of international news service. Television, also, shows regularly sports activities happening locally or abroad. Programs for women, children, and other specialized audiences are given consideration on the schedule. The concept of "public service" motivates a large number of programs, including entertainment. Programs are judged primarily in terms of cultural, moral, ethical and other values in Saudi Arabian society. Very little of sequential, instructional television 317 service has yet been used. All programs are screened in advance to comply with traditional, religious and social morality of the country, and all material must be avoided that may dis turb the diplomatic relationship with other countries, or will offend personalities or depreciate or do violence to Arabian, religious or political principles. The Saudi Arabian television system is a govern mental non-commercial body and, so far, there has been no immediate signs that the system will be changed. In addition to existing government radio and television broadcasting, two media facilities have oper ated in Saudi Arabia with a minimum influence or control from the government. They are* 1 - The United States Armed Forces Radio and Tele vision Services, activated during the operation of the American Air Base at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and which* ceased operation when the Base agreement expired in 1963, 2 - The Aramoo*s newspaper, and its radio and television stations which are still in operation at the time of this writing. Aramco's television station which operated since 1957 was providing Arabic programs for the entire Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia until the establishment of the government TV station at Dammam in 1969, Then the Aramco TV switched its format to 318 provide programs in English. As in most countries with a high degree of illi teracy, radio appears to be by far the most widespread and one of the most effective means for public informa tion, It is believed that most nomadic households have at least one transistorized portable radio capable of receiving not only domestics stations, but most other Middle East stations as well. In the villages and towns radios, both electric and battery, are commonplace among the population, Although there is a paucity of data on population, viewers, readers, listeners and receivers, some approx imate figures are available. One figure placed the num ber of radio receivers in 1968 at one million and the number of television receivers at 75,000 (U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce Inc. Saudi Arabian Market Today 1969). It may be estimated , on an average, that today every household in Saudi Arabia - rural or urban - is equipped with at least one radio receiver capable of both medium and short wave reception, while most urban households have tiaa receivers in those areas where TV coverage is provided. APPENDIXES APPENDIX A "ROYAL DECREE FOR THE NATIONAL PRESS ESTABLISHMENTS”* Royal Decree No 62 on 24/8/1383 A.H. By the Grace of God, We, Saud IBN Abdul Aziz Al-Saud the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after reviewing the articles 19 and 20 of the law of the Council of Ministers and after reviewing the resolution of the Council of Ministers No 482 on 23-6-1 38 3 A.H. requiring that the present press con cessions in the Kingdom be changed and granted to companies or private National establishments. According to the resolution of the Council of Ministers Number 600 on 20-8-1 3 8 3 A.H. and acoording to the recommonedations of the Prime Minister, We decree the following: First, the agreement on the National Press Establish ments law in the attached form. Second, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Information shall carry out this decree. Signed Saud CHAPTER I 4 Law for the Establishments of the National Press Formation of the Establishment: Article 1 : According to the articles of this law, press establishments shall be founded carrying the name National Ministry of Information, Law of Press Regulation (Asfahani Press: Jiddah, Sa.udi Arabia, 1964). Translated into English by this student. 319 Press Establishments, and each establishment shall, in addition, carry its own distinguishing name. Article S ; The National Press Establishment is a project founded by a group of Saudi citizens to whom the state granted concession to publish one newspaper or more according to the articles of this law. Article 3 : The establishment shall be founded by a decree from the Prime Minister in which he agrees on the founding of the establishment and granting the concession of publishing one or more newspapers in response to an appli cation submitted by a number of citizens through the Ministry of Information. The number of members of any establishment will be determined according to each separate situation but shall be no less than 15* The Ministry of Information has the right to reject any individual of the group of applicants. Article 4 : The capital assets of the establishment at the time of foundation shall be no less than 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 riyals. Article 5 : The establishment shall have a separate identity and shall be financially independent of its members. The responsibility of each member of the establishment will be in accordance with the investment he made. The establishment has the permission to declare reasonable profits to be distributed among its members .provided such distribution does not violate the aim of its creation namely, allocating the necessary funds to improve the newspaper. Article 6 : The main office of the establishment shall be in the city where its newspaper is edited and published. Should the establishment own two newspapers published in two different cities, the location of its headquarters shall be determined in agreement with the Ministry of Information and shall not be changed without prior notifi cation to the Ministry of Information and a reply of permission. Article 7 ; The transfer of the newspapers currently published in the Kingdom to private establishments, shall not necessarily result in a change in the names of the newspapers. Article 8 : The establishment shall lose its concession and consequently cease to exist for any of the following reasons. (A) If termination of the concession is requested in writing by 2 /3 of the members. (B) If the establishment cannot meet its financial obligations and is declared bankrupt or in financial distress. (C) If the Ministry of Information concludes that the interest of the country would best be served by the dissolving of the establishment, then its concession will be revoked by a decree from the Prime Minister. Chapter II Members of the Establishments Article A member of the establishment shall have the following qualifications: (A) He shall be a Saudi Arabian National (B) He shall be no less than 25 years of age (C) He shall be free of legal violations and be of strong moral character. He should never have been subject to disciplinary action in his work. (D) He shall have a fixed income from either govern ment or self employment. Article 10; The main duty of every member of the establish ment is to cooperate with the other members in conducting the editing of the newspaper according to the common interest. He has the right to use all legal means to carry out this duty. Article 11: No member of the establishment is permitted to take advantage of his membership to influence the editor- in-chief or editors in such a way that he obtains financial or moral gain. Article 12: All members of the establishment are equal in the rights and duties of their membership unless there is a conflict with this law. Article 13: No member shall have the right to interfere with the duties of the Editor-in-Chief, Editors or any other staff members. 323 Article 14; No member of the establishment can transfer the rights of his membership to another person in any manner without agreement of the Ministry of Information. Also the membership is not transferrable to the member heirs upon his death because the acquisition of this membership is subject to the member's personality and character. Article 15: The members of the establishment are not responsible for violations in editing* unless it can be proven that they conspired with the Editor-in-Chief to commit the violation. Chapter III Administration and Editing Article 16: The members of the establishment shall nominate from among themselves three members subject to the approval of the Ministry of Information* one of which will be elected Director-General of the establishment. He shall be elected* by secret ballot* by an absolute majority. Article 17: The duties of the Director-General shall be as follows: (A) Conveying the decisions of the establishment and its instructions regarding the policies of the newspaper to the editor-in-chief* editors and the members of the committee which supervises the affairs of editing. (B) Supervising the administration of the establish ment . 324 (C) To call special meetings of the members. (D) To represent the establishment administratively and financially publicly. Article 18: His position as Director-General may be ter minated by any of the following: (A) He voluntarily leaves the establishment. (B) He requests to be relieved from the office of Director-General but not leave the establishment. (C) If half of the members request, in writing to the Ministry of Information, his dismissal from office. (D) If the Ministry of Information concludes that the best interest of the country would be served by his dismissal from office. Article 19: The members of the establishment by a 2/3 majority shall elect a Deputy Director, who shall assume the duties of the Director-General in case of absence or illness. His position shall be terminated for the same reasons as the Director-General. Article 20: If a member must be absent, he must give in writing his proxy to another member to represent him in matters which he will specify in his proxy. No member may carry the proxy of more than one member. Article 21: Decisions involving the editing of the paper shall be made by a 2/3 majority of all members. All other decisions shall be made by a 2 /3 majority of the members present unless otherwise specified. \ Article 22; The establishment shall make for itself in ternal regulations within the framework of this law which shall he ratified by the Ministry of Information. Article 23: The establishment may allocate a monthly allowance for the Director-General provided the amount is agreed upon by a 2 /3 majority of all members. Article 24: The establishment shall select from the member ship an editor-in-chief for every newspaper on which they hold a concession. He shall be selected in the same manner as the Director-General. Article 251 The Editor-in-Chief shall be directly respon sible to the Ministry of Information for all violations in editing made against the Instructions given to him by the Director-General according to Article 17. Article 26 : The Editor-in-Chief shall, with the approval of the Director-General, select a Vice Editor from the editing committee. The Vice Editor shall replace the Editor-in-Chief in case of absence or illness provided the Ministry of Information is notified of the temporary replacement. Article 27: The establishment pays the Editor-in-Chief and editors a monthly salary. The amount of which will be in accordance with their duties. Article 28: The EdItor-in-Chief's position shall be ter minated for any of the following reasons: 32 6 (A) If he requests that he be relieved from the position. (B) If a 2/3 majority of the establishment decide to terminate his position. (C) If the Ministry of Information decides that he is long longer able to carry out his duties in a manner which serves the common good. (D) In case his membership in the establishment expires. Article 29: The members shall name from among themselves five persons to be called the Committee for the Supervision of Editing. Their duty shall be to supervise the editors and see that the instructions of the establishment are carried out by the Editor-In-Chief and editors. Article 30: The Committee for the Supervision of Editing shall submit periodic reports to the Director-General on the progress of the newspaper. Article 31: In order to improve the newspaper, the establishment should provide the editing system the follow ing as a minimum: First, Daily Newspapers 1. A full-time Editor-in-Chief 2. Four full-time editors 3. Two foreign language translators 4. A photographer 327 5. Three qualified correspondents stationed in three major capitals. Second, Weekly Newspapers 1. A full-time Editor-in-Chief 2. Two full-time editors 3. A photographer The Ministry of Information has the right to make sure the establishment complies with the points set forth in this article and to see the signed contracts between the establishment and the editing committee. Article 32: The meeting of the establishment is not legal unless attended by 2 /3 of all members. Article 33: Laws affecting the press prior to this law are still in effect unless they are in contradiction with this law. Article 3^-: This law is effective upon its publication. APPENDIX B THE ROYAL ESTABLISHING DECREE FOR THE DIRECTORATE OF SAUDI BROADCASTING'"5TATlON* Royal Decree No 7/3/16/1007 In the name of God the beneficent* the merciful By the grace of God* He Saud IBN Abdul Aziz* the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia* after reviewing the royal decree No 7-3-16-3996 j 23-9-1368 A.H. And according to the recommendations of the Prime Minister* We decree the following: 1. The Saudi Broadcasting station is an independent organization with the name* Directorate of Broadcasting. 2. This Directorate is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister. i 3. The Prime Minister delegates one of the ministers to supervise the affairs of the broadcasting station. .ft General Directorate of Broadcasting* "Royal Establish- ing Decree for the Saudi Arabia Broadcasting',' (printing, Press and Publication Establishment: Jiddah* Saudi Arabia 195^)* Translated into English by this student. It should be stated here that although this Royal Decree is considered an establishing decree and has never been repealed since its issuance seventeen years ago* it cannot be taken as the exact guidelines of radio at the present time, because of the merger of broadcasting under the Ministry of Information since 1 9 6 2. Programs* however* are still colored by the general theme of this decree. 328 329 4. The duties of the Saudi Broadcasting Station are: A. Propagating the teaching of the Islamic religion in and out of the Kingdom,, by spreading its culture inside the Kingdom in a manner that is understandable by the general public so to raise their standards, and to broaden the minds of the educated and satisfy the needs of the Aristocracy. Advertising the teaching of Islam to the rest of the world by broadcasting in different languages and using the manner which adapts to that particular nation. B. Helping to abolish illiteracy by spreading education. — -C. Promoting good morals and urging people to good manners and conduct. D. Raising the level of social behavior. E. Malting the classical Arabic easy for the general public to understand and use, F. Raising the standard of every class in the nation and satisfying its educational and social needs by broadcasting general educational programs and special educational programs with appeal for a particular class. G. Reviving the Arabic literature and the Arab memorable deeds. H. Try to encourage construction and economy in the country. 330 I. Reporting the complete facts about current situations so that the citizens are reassured of the progress of their country and to give the rest of the world a true picture of the country. J. Keeping the nation posted on world current • i events. K. Strengthening the ties of brotherhood between Arab countries and helping to unite the Arab world. L. Strive to put forth the Islamic ideals and unite all the Islamic world into cooperation for the good of all. M. Maintaining the feeling of friendship and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries and the world in general as much as i possible In order to try to achieve the Islamic concept of world peace. 5. The official language of the broadcasting station is Arabic but they have the right to create programs in various languages as long as they are in accordance with Article 4 of this decree. 6 . The broadcasting station may use all means to achieve the duties set forth in Article 4> such as: A. Establishing major stations. B. Establishing stations all over the Kingdom. C. Publishing a magazine for the broadcasting stations. D. Publishing reprints of programs. E. Publishing advertisements. p. Establishing an educational library and clubs for reading and lectures. G. Exchange of broadcasts between stations. 7. To achieve the aims set forth in Article 4, all government departments and private establishments shall provide all means of cooperation when it is requested by the broadcasting station. The request may be made by the station manager or the head of the broadcasting network. 8 . The broadcasting station is prohibited from broadcasting material which would result in any of the following: A- Violation of the Book of God and the Law of His Prophet. B. Creating discord between citizens, harming their interests or insulting the reputation of the country. C. Harming the interests of Arabs and their unity. D. Creating any discord within the Islamic world or weakening the brotherly ties among its people. E. Alignment with any world camp, or making any denounciations which would result in harm to the country. P. Committing an act of slander against any individual. 332 9- The Directorate of Broadcasting Stations shall be run by a Director-General who shall hold the rank of Deputy-Minister and shall be responsible for everything that is broadcast from the station or published in its magazine or bulletins, to the Minister in Charge. The Director-General has the full right in the following: A. Preparing the broadcasting station budgets and forming the necessary administration to insure the smooth operation of the station and obtaining the approval of his superior. B. Setting up the internal regulations for the station and its various departments. C. Either accept or reject items for broad casting. D. Modifying the material for broadcasting from all sources according to the regulations set forth in Article 4, unless it is a government bulletin, then according to Article 27 of the Employees Law, he can only submit his opinion to his superior. 10. The Director-General of the broadcasting station shall contact his superior in urgent situations, in regards to Items A, C and D of Article 9* 11. The director-general will be assisted by a deputy general who has the rank of Director-General of the Ministry who in turn shall be subordinated by two supervisor generals 333 who have the rank of Establishment Director-General. One would be in charge of programming, the other one would be in charge of engineering. 12. This decree shall be regarded as an establishing decree for Broadcasting Stations e:xplaining the Articles of the Royal Decree No 7-3-16-3996 issued in 23-9-i368 A.H.* and cancelling all the previous orders having to do with broadcasting stations. Written on 17-6-137^ A.H. Royal Signature Saud. * See page 121in this dissertation. APPENDIX C THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TV IN SAUDI ARABIA The Honorable Jiddah, 6 January, 1964 Parker T. Hart (21, Sha'ban, 1383) American Ambassador Jidda, Saudi Arabia With reference to your note dated December 9> 19^3 pertaining to the agreement to establish a television system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it gives me pleasure to convey to you the approval of my government of the mutually acceptable draft agreement. In accordance with the agreement, my government has agreed to open the necessary letter of credit for a sum limited to ten million (10,000,000) Saudi Arabian rivals, taken from the current fiscal year's budget (I383/I384 Hijrah). I should like to point out, however, that the umlimited (undefined) obligation referred to in the last paragraph under article one (1 ) of the agreement will be settled from within the funds appropriated for the project. In conveying to you, as indicated above, my govern ment's approval hereby constituting the agreement for estab lishment of a television system in the Saudi Arabian Kingdom, I sincerely hope that, in accordance with the agreement and (our) sincere desire for its realization, it will be possible to begin expeditiously. I avail myself of this opportunity to extend to you the assurances of my highest consideration. Omar Sakkaf Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs ,f Continued11 SAUDI ARABIA Establishment of Television System in Saudi Arabia Agreement effected by exchange of notes Signed at Jidda December 9* 1963* and January 6, 1964; Entered into force January 6, 1964. The American Ambassador to the Saudi Arabian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jidda, 9 December 1963 Excellency: I have the honor to refer to recent discussions concerning the plans of the Saudi Government to inaugurate -television broadcast services. I have been instructed by my Government to confirm that, pursuant to the request of the Saudi Government, and subject to the provisions hereof, the United States Government shall assume responsibility for contracting for the installation of television transmitting facilities, for the training of operating personnel and for the initial operation of the stations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shall carry out these responsibilities on behalf of the United States Government. The installations and their operation shall be based generally on the report of April 30* 1963* submitted to the 336 Saudi Government by Mr. Edward W. Allen of the U. S. Federal Communications Commission entitled "Report on the Establishment of Television Broadcast Service in Saudi Arabia", a copy of which is appended hereto. The U.S. Government shall first arrange for the design, construction, installation and operation of two temporary television stations, in Jidda and Riyadh, and for the training of appropriate Saudi personnel. Concurrently, it shall arrange for the design of the permanent stations. Subsequently it shall arrange for the construction and installation of the permanent stations and for their initial operation. The Saudi Government shall make available in a timely manner all lands, easements and rights-of-way required for the entire project. In accordance with the Saudi Government's request that the project be implemented as rapidly as possible, contracts for the design, supply of equipment, installation, operational and training aspects of the program shall be negotiated with an American firm or firms which shall be designated in writing by the Saudi Government. Construction contracts for the permanent stations shall be awarded after solicitation of proposals from firms to be selected by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers shall utilize its contracting procedures and contract forms with such modifications or adaptations as the Corps in its discretion deems necessary or desirable. 337 The obligations undertaken by the U.S. Government and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are understood to be subject to the following terms: 1. In the interest of allowing the work undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed as ex peditiously as possible* the Saudi Arabian Government shall establish an irrevocable letter of credit to be drawn on as described below to cover costs of design,, construction* installation and initial operation of the temporary tele vision stations* training of Saudi personnel and design of the permanent facilities. It Is understood that these costs shall include expenses of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and reasonable contingencies. This letter of credit shall be established in the form attached hereto or in the approved format of the issuing bank upon presentation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of estimated costs of the operations envisaged for this part of the project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will draw upon the letter of credit by submitting demand drafts on the issuing bank* at approximately one month intervals for costs actually incurred. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide at one month intervals to the Saudi Arabian Government an accounting of the funds so expended in the format and detail as is mutually agreed / upon by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Saudi Arabian Government. 338 Prior to awarding of any contracts for the construction and installation of the permanent stations and their initial operation* the Saudi Government shall establish a second letter of credit on the same terms as above* sufficient to cover the costs of the construction and installation of the permanent stations and their initial operation* plus reason able contingencies and expenses of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in administering this phase of the project. The Saudi Government shall be advised of the amount of unexpended balances remaining upon final fiscal completion of the work involved. The Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers* acting through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals, shall hear and decide appeals taken pursuant to the "Disputes" clause of contracts awarded non-Saudi contracts pursuant to this agreement. The Saudi Government agrees to make such additional funds available as may be necessary to cover the payment of successful claims. 2. Members of the Corps of Engineers and their dependents shall respect the laws of Saudi Arabia* including those laws prohibiting access to certain areas of the country to non-Muslims or to non-Saudis, The senior representative of the Corps of Engineers element in Saudi Arabia shall have the sole authority to maintain discipline and good order among the members of the Corps of Engineers and their 339 dependents and to assure their full respect for the laws of Saudi Arabia by taking appropriate action under United States law in cases involving such persons. The authori ties of Saudi Arabia shall promptly notify the senior representative of the Corps of Engineers of the arrest of any member of the Corps of Engineers or dependent accused of violating the laws of Saudi Arabia and shall transfer custody of the accused, as expeditiously as circumstances permit, to the senior representative of the Corps of Engineers or his designated representative for appropriate action under the laws of the United States. 3. Members of the Corps of Engineers and their dependents shall enjoy within Saudi Arabia immunity from civil process for actions taken in the performance of their duties under this agreement. 4. All property, material, equipment, services and supplies brought into or procured in Saudi Ara.bia by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out the functions contemplated by the Agreement shall be exempt from import and export duties, taxes, licenses, excises, imposts, bonds, deposits and any other charges, except for services requested and rendered, and shall be exempt from inspections, except for identification. Property, materials, equipment, services and supplies belonging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or of its non-Saudi contractors that do not become a part of the completed works shall remain the property of the 3^0 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or its non-Saudi contractors, and may at any time be removed from or disposed of in Saudi Arabia free of any restrictions or any claims which may arise by virtue of such removal or disposal, provided that the duty thereon shall be paid in the event of their sale or disposal in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government shall . take all reasonable steps, within the framework of its laws, to prevent unreasonable increases in prices of either materials or services, including transportation and fees for port unloading facilities, purchased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or its contractors to carry out the functions contemplated by the Agreement. 5. The Saudi Government shall accord to members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, their dependents and their personal property, exemption from all kinds of taxes or charges imposed by the Central or Provincial Governments. Goods imported under this exemption shall not ordinarily be sold or disposed of in Saudi Arabia, and in the event of such sale or disposal, the duty thereon shall duly be paid. 6 . The Saudi Government shall receive, without regard to nationality, except for citizens of states not recognized by the Saudi Government, persons employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its non-Saudi contractors for the performance of work under this Agreement. Administrative 3^1 procedures shall he devised to expedite entry into or exit from Saudi Arabia. 7. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its non- Saudi contractors,, for their part, will observe and take into consideration Saudi laws and traditions. The Saudi Government for its part shall accord the U.S. Corps of Engineers, its premises and its equipment (including means of transportation), freedom from search or seizure except with the concurrence of the senior representative of the U.S. Corps of Engineers in Saudi Arabia or his designated representative. 8 . The Saudi Arabian Government agrees that the U.S. Government, its officers and its employees, will be held harmless from causes of action, suits at law or equity, or from any liability or damages in any way growing out of 1 ) the performance of the functions covered by this agreement, or 2 ) the construction, operation and maintenance of the project facilities. 9. The Saudi Arabian and U.S. Governments will consult, upon the request of either of them, regarding any matter relating to the terms of this agreement, and will endeavor jointly in the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust to resolve any difficulties or misunderstandings that may arise. In the event of a change of circumstances making it necessary or desirable to terminate the arrangements agreed to herein before the expiration date in paragraph no. 10 herein, 3^2 either government may give sixty days' notice in writing of * its intent to terminate. Thereafter, the Saudi Arabian and U.S. Governments shall consult together with the aim, insofar as possible, of fixing a mutually satisfactory termination date. Further, insofar as possible, the ter mination date shall be.fixed sufficiently in advance so that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may make personnel and other adjustments in their operations in light of such termination. In the event of termination pursuant to this clause it is understood and agreed that this Agreement shall continue in force and effect beyond the specified termination date if necessary for the purpose of settling contract termination or other claims and costs. 10. This Agreement shall continue in force and effect until July 30, 1966, except that it shall continue in force and effect beyond July 3 0 , 1966, if necessary for the purpose of clsoing out all contracts awarded pursuant to the Agreement, including claims which might arise thereunder. Ohterwise, the Agreement shall be subject to extension if mutually agreed by the Saudi and U.S. Governments. I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that, if the foregoing conditions are acceptable to the Saudi Government, the Government of the United States of America will consider this note, together with your note in reply concurring with the above, as constituting an Agreement between the two governments with respect to this matter, 343 such Agreement to enter into force as of the date of your note in reply. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration. Parker T. Hart American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia BIBLIOGRAPHY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY (E) stands for English text, (A) for Arabic text consulted or translated by this student into English. Books Arabian American Oil Co. Aramco Handbook. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 1 9 6 8. (E) Comsat. Worlds Earth Stations for Satellite Communication. Comsat. Wa.shington D .C. December l9?0. 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"Statistical Analysis of AlRiyadh." A Term Paper Submitted to Dr. Galen Rarick, O.S.U. School of Journalism, May 1971. (E) NBC International. "Stations Organization and Operational Plan." Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, 1965, Two Pamphlets. (E) and (A) Royal Decree No. 2013/29/5/21. 1953 (26 Shawal, 1374). Library of Institute for Public Administration, Riyadh. (A) Royal Ordinance No. A134. 1970 (2 Ramadan 139° A.H.) Library Bulletin, Institute of Public Administration, April 1 9 7 1 . (AJ Sathar, S. A. "Saudi Arabia and Space Communication." A Report to the Ministry of Communication (PTT), Riyadh, March 27, 1 9 6 5. (A) and (E) Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. "Saudi Arabia Budget for the Year I388-89A.H." Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, September 25, 1968. (A) and. (E) . Shobaili, A.S. "Saudi Arabian Television." M.A. Thesis, University of Kansas, July 1 9 8 9* (E) . The Ministry of Information. "A Report to the Supreme Planning Board About the.Next 5 Year Plans of the Ministry and its Previous Achievements." 1 9 6 9* (A) Tyler, I. Keith. "Combatting Illiteracy with Television." School of Education, O.S.U., undated article. (E) . U.S. Corps of Engineers. "Contract of Operation, Maintenance and Training for the.Saudi Arabian TV with Avco of Cincinnati, Ohio." Tierrenia, Pisa, Italy, October 10, 1 9 6 8. (E) U.S. Corps of Engineers. "Major Television Equipment List." Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 1, 1 9 6 8. (E) 3^9 U.S. Corps of Engineers. "Proposed Budget: Saudi Arabian Television Network." U.S., C.O.E., Mediterranean Division, Livorno, 19 68, 1969, 1 9 7 0 . (E) and {A) Personal Correspondence and Interviews Al-Alami, Foa'sd. A Member of the Interpretation Staff of the Saudi Arabian Broadcasting. A letter, Winter 1970* (A) Al-Attar, Ziad. Director of the Film Department, Saudi Arabian TV. A Letter, Winter 1970- (A) Al Mozaini, Saleh. Producer, Aramco Television. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. A Letter, 1 9 6 9. (E) Aramco's Public Relation. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. A Letter, January 28, 1970- (E) Dhia'a, Aziz. An Interview. Winter I97 O. (A) Fodah, Ibraheen. Former Director of Radio Broadcasting in Saudi Arabia. An Interview, Winter 1970. (A) Sabri, A-t. Department of Technical Affairs. The Ministry of Information, Riyadh, A Letter, 1 9 6 9. (A) Schulz, R.C. Vice President of Field Engineering, Avco Division, Cincinnati, Ohio. A Letter, May 2 9, 1 9 6 9. (E) Shata, Abbas. Director of Oriental Language Division of Radio Broadcasting, Winter I97 O. (A) Shohail, Faisal. Member of Al Jazeerah Press Establishment. Private Interview held During this Student's Research Trip during the Winter, I97 O. (A) Sudairi, Fahad. Deputy Minister of Information. An Inter view, Winter 1970. (E) U.S. Corps of Engineers Office at Riyadh. A Letter, Undated. (E) Valentino, Henry. Information Office, American Forces, Radio and Television. Washington D.C. A Letter, November 13* 1970. (E)