I don’t know exactly how much Saudi money is being invested in satellite channels and other media organs operating outside the Kingdom. What I do know is that these channels are the largest in the Arab world and yet continue to show little interest in employing Saudis.
Major broadcasters such as MBC, ART and ORBIT as well as some Lebanese stations operate either fully or partly with Saudi money. Despite this, the Saudi presence at the stations and in their broadcasts is virtually nonexistent. You seldom hear a Saudi voice except on sports programs when a few Saudis are invited to comment on a football match or in religious programs, especially those related to making controversial religious pronouncements.
Throughout the war on Iraq I never saw a single Saudi political commentator talking about what was happening. I saw no Saudi military commentators telling us about the war. There were no Saudi correspondents in the field. Even on programs such as “Listeners Choice,” the only Saudi voices are those coming from outside the studio, asking to dedicate a song to a friend or relative.
It is clear after all these years and investments, the stations are committed to doing only one thing — making money. Saudis for them are no more than a source of income and will remain so.
Things have been changing around us; new empires have been born and old ones have disappeared. Concepts and ideas change as do people’s attitudes. The only thing that has never changed is how Saudis are viewed and perceived by others. The actions of these channels only help strengthen such views and perceptions and further consolidates the notion that in the world there are two kinds of countries — those at the center and those on the edge. On those channels are people from almost every Arab country except Saudi Arabia whose nationals are either deliberately sidelined or shunned altogether. The irony is that the programs broadcast on the channels target mainly Saudi viewers while ignoring Saudi values and traditions. Besides failing to employ Saudis, the stations refuse to adopt the moderate Saudi line, refuse to tell the truth about the Kingdom or correct distortions about the Kingdom. For them the country means oil, money and nothing else.
Arab News From the Local Press 27 April 2003
