The Audiovisual Commission is considering establishing the first media park in the Kingdom, which would strengthen local news production and content.
Commission Chairman Riyadh Najm said discussions are under way.
“The objective behind the move is to ensure that there is harmony between the content and the ideals of the Saudi culture,” he said, adding that all production will be “consistent with our value system and principles in place in the Kingdom.”
He added: “The commission promptly began looking into various issues and aspects to ensure that the exercise translates into success. We are currently in the final stages, and we expect everything to be ready by the end of the year.
“Any channel broadcasting from Saudi Arabia through our platform will have to be licensed and must comply with rules. In case the channel fails to comply with rules and regulations of the Kingdom, we will first issue a warning. If the violation continues, we will then take necessary action, just like in the case of any other media establishment.”
The Council of Ministers stipulated that the project must comply with basic principles, including the need to coordinate with Arabsat administration and other relevant agencies. It also stipulated that the enterprise comply with the Publications Law, pending new regulations for audiovisual media.
In a separate development, Salih Al-Mghaileeth, spokesman for Saudi Radio and TV broadcasting, said they had stopped airing the TV show titled “broadcaster pranks.”
“We did this because of what happened to a little girl in the show, whom the broadcaster was asking some questions in a stern and unacceptable manner,” he said. The TV show is supposed to be a children’s comic show, where the broadcaster asks questions that make the children give funny answers. In one show, however, a child began to cry after being bombarded with a series of questions, which some people considered verbal abuse of the girl.
“We received a call from Bandar Al-Aiban, chairman of Human Rights Commission, who was upset by the show. The commission asked that we take necessary action to stop such shows where there is an element of abuse of children,” he said.
A number of social networks also expressed outrage at what happened to the girl in the show. They demanded that the production team of the show apologize to the little girl and her family.
Establishment of media park under study
