Norman J Pattiz, the US entertainment mogul behind the famed Larry King and Casey Kasem shows, is preparing to launch a American-operated
Arabic-language TV network to quell anti-US sentiment in the Middle East. The US government believes the Middle East Television Network will help "win the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people in the aftermath of the war, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 27. Mr Pattiz, founder of the Westwood One radio network, spearheaded a push by the US media into the region a year ago, establishing the Arabic-language Radio Sawa network a month after the September 11 terrorist strikes. The US government has so far poured $57 million into the venture, and this week President George Bush appealed for an additional $30.5 million to ensure the TV and radio network can be established as a viable competitor to al-Jazeera, the controversial Arab satellite broadcaster. Radio Sawa is said to have already attracted a following, with US officials claiming that up to 94% of 17 to 28-year-olds in the region are tuning in. The station broadcasts news and a blend of Arabic and western pop music, including Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, in Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan and the West Bank.
.png){kind=avatar}
Linear Mode
