BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam suggested Monday a system of cooperation between cable providers and Lebanon’s TV stations, who are seeking fees in return for access to their channels.
“The prime minister was very positive [with regard] to creating a method of cooperation that would preserve the rights of TV stations,” Talal Makdessi, chair of the board of directors of Tele Liban, said after meeting with the premier in the Grand Serail Monday.
Makdessi also noted that Lebanese TV stations would conduct the necessary studies to establish their legitimate rights.
Salam met with the chairmen of the boards of directors of Tele Liban, LBCI, MTV, Future TV, Al-Manar, NBN and Al-Jadeed. Makdessi said that Salam was “positive, realistic and rational” during the meeting.
Talks focused on the current reality of Lebanese media, and what difficulties TV channels are facing as a result of frequencies assigned to broadcast television channels, Makdessi said.
The meeting also discussed issues regarding cable providers who broadcast Lebanese TV channels without providing stations with any remuneration, he added.
Lebanon’s various stations are united on this subject, Makdessi said, adding that “TV stations must take their rights.”
TV stations, which are seeking fees from cable providers in return for access to their channels, have been assessing ways to win back their rights. There are around 700,000 to 800,000 cable subscribers in Lebanon.
They complain that cable companies are already paying such fees to foreign television stations, but not to Lebanese ones.
Last week, TV stations, which are of different political affiliations, held their first meeting with cable providers over the matter.
Television stations have also complained of severe financial difficulties over the past five years due to a drop in advertising revenues, partly resulting from the country’s political situation and economic crisis.
They are also seeking support and protection from the information and telecommunications ministries as they battle competition from foreign stations in Lebanon, and they want help preserving their syndication rights.
The heads of the TV stations believe the fact that they are united could help them get a lower price when negotiating with foreign news agencies for content.
In a meeting with Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb earlier this month, TV stations called on the lawmaker to cancel taxes on satellite news gathering equipment and to end dues levied on the transmission of broadcast images to satellites stationed in Lebanon. They also called for decreasing the costs incurred by the use of landline phones, cellphones and the Internet.
Makdessi Monday said that he would update the Information Ministry on the delegations’ meeting with Salam and Harb.
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