I don’t think any one, inside or outside the Kingdom, looks at Channel One of Saudi Arabian Television for either Arab or international news.

For the past two decades, all that the channel has done is to broadcast local news which consists of both government and provincial activities, official and semi-official. It is not only very limited but very boring as well.

There is now talk that changes are being made to improve the performance of the channel’s news bulletins. I personally have noticed some improvements in the news which is the only program I ever watch on the channel.

I have no doubt that Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani and his team want to see the channel move from its present moribund state to one in which some life is present and in which there is at least a small hope that the channel might compete with some of the satellite stations.

The first thing that Saudis would like is for the channel to have an identity. It must change from a faceless channel into one with a clear identity and a clear mission. The soul of the channel should be everything Saudi and local. This is the only way that the channel will be able to establish itself as a national television channel which knows what it is and where it is going.

We already have an exclusive news channel, Al-Ekhbariya, which over a very short time has established itself as a reliable news channel. It could relieve Channel One of the responsibility of reporting Arab and world news.

We already have an exclusive sports channel, Al-Riyadiya, which is doing very well at the local, regional and international levels. What we really need is a channel that focuses exclusively on local events, one that gives a taste to what it presents and reflects people’s sentiments and concerns and one that is bold, free and responsible.

The Kingdom is a vast and diverse country, very rich in its cultural heritage. This huge wealth of varying traditions and customs could provide an endless supply of documentary material and could turn the channel into one that is widely watched. Had Channel One adopted such an approach, we would by now have a television station providing a unique service and attracting many viewers. This in turn would have stopped us hurling accusations at foreign stations for meddling in our domestic affairs.