Dalia Ahmad is back

[Bodhisattva]

Lebanon: “NTV” news and political programmes banned for 48 hrs

BEIRUT-16-12-2003- Lebanon banned an opposition television station on Tuesday from broadcasting news or political programmes for 48 hours over a report on a departing colleague that criticised top security officials.



The ban order from the information ministry accused New Television (NTV) of violating broadcast laws with a "subjective" report aired on Friday, when the station said presenter Dalia Ahmad was leaving.



"The terrestrial and satellite transmission of all newscasts and political programmes, live or otherwise...at New Television will be stopped from 1500 on Tuesday...to 1500 on Thursday," said the order, signed by Information Minister Michel Samaha.



In an earlier newscast NTV denied it had broken the law with its report, which accused the government of denying residency to Ahmad, who is Sudanese, and referred to Lebanon's security chief and Syria's military intelligence chief in Lebanon.



"What NTV aired last Friday about the colleague Dalia Ahmad does not stray from objectivity but dared to name certain people," the newsreader said.



"NTV, which is airing the decision and will abide by it, affirms its commitment to public freedoms and the political line it has become know for," the newsreader continued.



The station replaced newscasts with music on Tuesday.



The ban was not the first time NTV, which is critical of the government, has run into trouble with Lebanese authorities.



They cut NTV's satellite link in June, halting the station's international transmission over a planned political show on the effect of the U.S.-led war on Iraq on politics in Saudi Arabia.



NTV resumed international broadcasts days later, after it agreed not to air the programme.



The station's owner, Tahseen Khayyat, was detained overnight earlier this month after authorities said they had received information he had contacts with Israel and harmed the reputation of "friendly" countries.



Repeated moves against New Television follow the closure over a year ago of another station, MTV, which was opposed to Syria's political and military sway in Lebanon. That led critics to warn that Lebanon was sliding toward becoming a police state.

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