TWENTY EDUCATED Saudis were asked the following question: If you spend two hours a day watching TV, how much of that time would be spent watching Saudi TV Channel One? All of them answered the same: “None.”
If I had asked the same question to another group of Saudis, who are below the previous group in education, I would have probably received almost the same disappointing answer.
The truth is that very few people, Saudis or expatriates, watch Saudi TV. Since it has no role inside the country, it certainly has none abroad.
When I investigated, I found that the budget allocated for Saudi TV is greater than the budgets of many popular and entertaining Arab TV channels.
Many Arab satellite channels have gained popularity, not by just showing dances and musical programs, but by telecasting serious and educative programs.
Some will surely say that these channels attract viewers by the unsuitable nature of their programs.
In fact, that is not the case; many successful Arab TV stations don’t broadcast this kind of program.
They are watched by all sorts of people — educated and uneducated, rich and poor — who are curious about the world and want information.
One day a Saudi, who loves his country very much and wants the national TV to become an effective and influential media organ, advised me not to watch Channel One to avoid my blood pressure shooting up.
It is unfortunately true that stagnation is common among both our public and private organizations.
I remember a high-ranking official who was asked why he did not make any changes, either of employees or of policies, in his department.
It was shocking to hear him say that despite the responsibilities and duties of his position, he had no power to terminate any employee because of the support they had from his superiors!
“Do you know, despite my authorities, I am not allowed to fire even a sweeper in my department,” the official told me. And most unsuccessful officials use this reason as a cover to hide their failures.
