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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| PA minister: Pirate stations will be shut down |
| 2010-07-26 |
| Telecommunications minister Mashhur Abu Daqa said Sunday that his ministry would close down local radio and television stations operating without licenses. Abu Daqa said 30 of the 130 stations in the West Bank do not have licenses, and while some have responded to ministerial requests to amend this situation, others have failed to do so including some which have been broadcasting unlicensed for 20 years. His ministry has formed a committee with the information and interior ministries to address this issue, setting a deadline by which pirate stations must obtain licenses or be shut down. A number of local stations received orders to stop transmissions if they do not obtain licenses within one month. The ministry's licensing director, Ahmad Muneizel, said if stations do not comply with the regulations, their frequencies will be withdrawn. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate expressed its solidarity with the stations threatened with closure, but added that they must abide with the ministry's demands. Regarding poor Internet services in the West Bank, Abu Daqa said licenses have been granted to 10 new internet companies, which will use the existing network. The ministry has agreed with telecommunications company PalTel to invest in new infrastructure over the next three years which will work with Next Generation Network technology, the minister said. Meanwhile, the new companies will offer eight to 10 megabytes of internet access, and subscribers will be billed for this on top of their PalTel bill, Abu Daqa explained, adding that the Internet market had been opened up and initial prices will be reduced within three months. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Yarrrr...Mahmoud in a donkey cart, yer on the aire...what do ye have fer me, matey? Yarrrrrrr... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-07-26 14:39 |
| #1 What about Radio Yerevan? I always liked their broadcasts. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-07-26 00:18 |