‘Saudi TV stations do not have exclusive rights to national events’

The president of the General Commission of Audiovisual Media (GCAM), Rida bin Mohammed Al-Haidar, said the new GCAM system aims to organize the activities of the audiovisual media in the Kingdom in accordance with the Kingdom’s media policy which seeks to expand media production and create value content, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He said the system, which has recently been approved by the Council of Ministers, banned the encryption of media related to events of a national nature in order to enhance national unity and the principle of homeland for all.
The GCAM chief stressed that the new system would protect the interests and rights of Saudi staff working in media institutions. In case licenses of these institutions are canceled or suspended, the GCAM will take all necessary measures to ensure that the interests of the working staff are not harmed and that their rights are protected, he said, adding the GCAM will provide full protection of their rights when disputes are settled.
He urged all entities engaged in the audiovisual media to speed up the harmonization of their activities with the provisions and regulations of the new audiovisual system.
He said the GCAM has given to all parties engaged in the audiovisual area enough time, extending to 12 months, to correct their status. He said the new system has asked government and private TV and broadcasting channels to have licenses and be subject to the regulations and provisions of the GCAM.

Source:Arabnews