Thursday, September 06, 2012

Nilesat Stops Broadcasting Pro-Assad Syrian Television

Nilesat stops broadcasting pro-Assad Syrian television

AFP and Ahram Online, Wednesday 5 Sep 2012

The Arab League request to ban Syrian channels from broadcasting on Egypt's Nilesat satellite platform was approved and implemented

Egypt’s satellite Nilesat stopped broadcasting official Syrian television stations on Wednesday, after a request from the ministers’ committee at the Arab League.

“They stopped broadcasting the official Syrian television stations after a meeting of the Arab League,” an official speaking on condition of anonymity told France Press. Since then, the Arabsat satellite company has also stopped broadcasting Syrian television, joining the Nilesat in the anti-Damascus move.

In July, the Arab League asked satellite operators Nilesat and Arabsat to shut down the Syrian TV signals.

In the opening speech of the annual meeting of the Cairo-based Arab League, President Mohamed Morsi asserted that it was "time for the Syrian regime to step down," stressing that it was the Arabs’ responsibilityto find a viable resolution to the on-going crisis.

"We should help the Syrians avoid civil war and avert foreign military intervention," Morsi asserted. "I say to the Syrian regime: there is still a chance to end the bloodshed. Now is the time for change."

Morsi went on to say there was "no time to waste" in discussing proposed reforms, stressing that the Assad regime "has to leave to stop the carnage". He also called on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to "take lessons from recent history," in reference to the fall of longstanding regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen in the wake of the Arab Spring.

"Do something and we'll support you," Morsi told Arab diplomats before leaving the meeting.

Moreover, this was the first ministerial-level Arab League meeting in years to be directly addressed by Egypt's president.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/52093.aspx

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