Egypt - Media
Egypt - Media Last updated on Friday 16th April 2010
Egypt is the capital of Middle Eastern communications with strong journalistic traditions and a relatively free press, the region's most important film, television and recording industries and the largest publishing industry in the Arab world. All newspapers and periodicals are under governmental supervision and partial governmental ownership, as are all publishing houses.
Newspapers
Al Ahram, which has an international edition, is the semi-official daily with a circulation of over a million and is far and away the most important newspaper in the country. Other newspapers include Akhbar Al-Youm, Al Akhbar, Al Mesaa, Ajjumhuriyyah, Al-Ahali, Al Wafd and Al Alam Al Youm. The International Daily Asharq Alawsat is printed in Egypt at the Al Ahram printing presses.
Radio
Under Gamal Abdel Nasser Egypt's national broadcasting system became a powerful and influential tool for pan-Arab propaganda. Utilizing Egypt's enormous pool of creative talent and powerful transmitters, the government broadcast throughout the Arab world. While propaganda is no longer of primary importance, Egypt's broadcasting system remains the best in the Arab world transmitting programmes in Arabic, English, French and other languages.
Television
Television was introduced to the country in 1960 and, as in all Arab countries, remains solely in the hands of the government. There are five national television channels. Egyptian soap operas are a staple of all Arab television and have, for better or worse, established the standards of broadcasting throughout the region. In addition, the Egyptian Satellite Channel transmits via Arabsat throughout the Middle East and Nile Television broadcasts in English and French to Europe.