(RSF/IFEX) – On 7 December 2005, the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court was to review an appeal by Lebanese television station Al-Manar, contesting the cancellation of its broadcast agreement with the country’s broadcast regulator (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel, CSA). “Al-Manar has been prohibited from broadcasting on the Eutelsat satellite for a year, following […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 7 December 2005, the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court was to review an appeal by Lebanese television station Al-Manar, contesting the cancellation of its broadcast agreement with the country’s broadcast regulator (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel, CSA).
“Al-Manar has been prohibited from broadcasting on the Eutelsat satellite for a year, following the recommendation of the CSA and the decision of the Council of State. In December 2004, RSF denounced this decision, arguing that it had been made in haste. We hope that the judges of the Council of State have the necessary information to reach a reasoned decision in this case. We have always stated clearly that we vigorously condemn the anti-Semitic remarks made on the Lebanese station but we continue to believe that closing a media outlet outright is a serious measure that should only be taken as an option of last resort,” declared RSF.
Al Manar’s lawyer, Denis Garreau, said he believed that the decision to halt the broadcaster’s programming was political and that the CSA had breached its obligation to remain neutral. He recalled that the station’s management had issued an apology and expressed regret following the broadcast of anti-Semitic programmes in 2003 and 2004. The lawyer also accused the CSA of not having taken into consideration the improvements made by the station to its programming in order to conform to French laws.
On 13 December 2004, the Council of State announced that it had ordered Eutelstat to halt broadcasting Al Manar television on it satellite within 48 hours, or face a 5,000 euro fine for each day it continued to broadcast after the deadline. The administrative body ruled that the programs broadcast presented “a militant perspective, with anti-Semitic connotations.”
On 17 December 2004, the CSA announced that the broadcasting agreement with Al Manar, signed only one month earlier, had been cancelled.
The station’s management then filed an appeal to contest the Council of State’s decision and the termination of its agreement with the CSA.
Al-Manar continues to be broadcast in France and in Europe over Arab satellites. Some of its programs are available on the Internet.
