U.S.-funded grant aims to support Arab TV journalism

Daily Star staff
Wednesday, March 29, 2006

WASHINGTON: Television journalists and producers from independent Arab television news stations will be able to obtain financial support for their research and productions this year, according to a press release issued last week by the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).

"Up to 10 television journalists and producers from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the West Bank and Gaza will be able to seek small grants up to $20,000," the press release said. It added that "a total of $150,000 will be available to Arab producers in two rounds this year."

The TV Production Fund Small Grants awards will be made under the MENA MEDIA program, administered through IREX and AmmanNet, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative.

Mark Whitehouse, Director of IREX's Media Development Division, called the TV Production Fund a unique opportunity for Arab producers. "We welcome the opportunity to support Arab producers who create content about Arabs and Arab communities for broadcast on Arab television."

Similar programs will be transmitted at the same time frame to attract the advertisers. Licensed movies, bought for that purpose and dubbed in Baku, will also be included into the broadcasts.

This article was originally published by the Daily Star, Lebanon.