Last minute: Al Jazeera banned in Morocco

The Moroccan communications ministry has said its has suspended the operations of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television news channel in Rabat and withdrawn the accreditations of its staff, AFP has reported. The move followed "numerous failures in (following) the rules of serious and responsible journalism," the ministry said. The authorities took exception 'to the way Al-Jazeera handles the issues of Islamists and Western Sahara', a government official who declined to be named was quoted as saying.

Various Arab media news

Dear Blog followers,

Sorry for not updating the blog, but we have been busy preparing reports and studies on the Lebanese elections, Obama's visit and Ahmadinejad's relection.

Here is some of the "best" you missed this last period:

1) Rotana Music finally moved out of Beirut, destination...Egypt (we had announced Amman); it turns out Jordan was indeed in the short list, but Egypt was finally selected as Rotana already broadcasts some programs from there.

2) Lebanon's Al Akhbar announced that LBC's Pierre EL Daher and Walid Ben Talal had a fallout(to be followed)

3) CNN was voted the "favorite news channel" by a panel of Arab voters (from the top earners) followed by BBC, Jazeera, CNBC and then Euronews (Study by Sinofit)

4 ) The Arab Media Forum was held this year. We attended the debates in Dubai. I have to say it was quite interesting. Especially when Arabiya's Nabil El Khatib faced Jazeera's Ahmed El Sheikh and BBC Arabic team; to discus the Gaza war coverage. Debates were heated as to the content of the coverage. Unfortunately, the content experts that Comtrax Solutions is, we did not have time to provide the necessary data to show scientifically how the coverage was.

Al Jazeera and Samir Quntar

Where is the truth?

After Israel freed Lebanese Samir Quntar (part of the Hezbollah/Israel prisoners and bodies swap), Al Jazeera's bureau in Lebanon organized a party to welcome Quntar (considered by Israel as a criminal, and by Hezbollah as a hero)

Israel responded to this by announcing that it will start imposing visa restrictions on Al Jazeera's staff, as well as it will not help the channel in getting interviews etc.. in Israel. Israel boycotting Al Jazeera!

Israeli daily Haaretz reproted today that Al Jazeera's General Manager Waddah Khanfar sent a letter to Israeli authorities, apologizing for the Quntar welcoming ceremony and pledging to take "administrative measures" against the Beirut bureau...While the Qatari channel's news director was announcing that the channel will never apologize for welcoming Quntar.

This event has to be taken in light of recent changes in the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera: the previous team, considered as anti-US was replaced by a more pro-US members; or at least more neutral directors. But the rank and file (or let's call them the officers) of Al Jazeera still stick to their percieved "pro Arab" stance, which calls for them to welcome Quntar as a hero.

This could explain why while the Board of Directors was apologizing, the rest of the team was still welcoming Quntar. That said, this dual opinion/messages should be to the liking of the Qatari Royal family; after all Qatar has managed a diplomatic expertise in being percieved as both anti and pro US!