NPR: Al-Hurra Fails in Bid for Additional Program Funding

Al-Hurra Fails in Bid for Additional Program Funding

Al-Hurra, the U.S.-run Arabic satellite channel designed to promote American values in the Middle East, felt the pinch this week -- a congressional panel denied its request for additional funding for new programming.

Joel Mowbray -- an outspoken critic of Al-Hurra's news director, Larry Register, for allowing spokesmen for Hamas and Hezbollah on the satellite channel -- writes at the conservative Power Line blog that this "sharp blow" came even though the funding request had been backed by Karen Hughes, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. Mowbray suggests that only Register's resignation will satisfy the congressional panel that oversees the channel's budget.

Jeb Koogler at the Moderate Voice blog takes issue with Mowbray's criticisms of Register and Al-Hurra, which he calls misleading. He says Mowbray makes it seem as if Al-Hurra "was successfully promoting democracy and supporting human rights until new, corrupt leadership suddenly made it all go astray." But that's not the case at all, Koogler writes.

A more accurate critique of the network would point out that al-Hurra has always been a failed venture at public diplomacy, it has never gained a sizable viewing audience, and it has never furthered the causes that we wish it would. Criticizing the new leadership as soft on Arab autocrats and Islamic extremism is to miss to point: that's the way it's always been.

It wasn't all bad news for Al-Hurra. A congressional staffer working for the House Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee said while it turned down the $14 million request, it approved $2.2 million for live streaming of Al-Hurra on the Web, as well an additional $2 million to hire a firm to provide English transcripts for some programming.

However, The Associated Press reports that the federal Broadcasting Board of Governors will ask for an outside review of Al-Hurra programming. The review will be carried out by "a university or other academic institution with experience in Middle Eastern affairs and journalism."

5:12 PM ET | 06- 7-2007 | permalink

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
Please send me updates from NPR.	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Tom Regan

Blogger

About Us

This year's election cycle has been one of the most exciting in memory. At the NPR News Blog we'll do our best to bring you interesting, informative -- and controversial -- stories from our own reporters and bloggers, as well as the rest of the best of the Internet and blogosphere. And we hope you'll let us know what you think as well.

Want to learn more? Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions and our discussion guidelines.