·
Population: 16,350,000 (according to
data from the Syrian Central Statistics Bureau).
·
Area: 185,180 Square
kilometers.
·
Capital City: Damascus.
·
Administrative Division: 14 governorates.
·
Population Density: 84 / square kilometer.
·
Population Under 15 Years of Age: 41%
·
Population Growth: 3%
·
Ethnic Groups: Arabs, 89%; Kurds, 8%;
Armenians, 3%.
·
Religions: Muslims ( Sunni and
Alawi ): 75%; Christians, 11%; Druze and other religions 3%.
·
Languages: Arabic ( the official
language), in addition to some others ( Aramaic, Kurdish).
·
Urban Dwellers: 52%.
·
Birth Rate: 31 per thousand.
·
Mortality rate: 5 per thousand.
·
Child Mortality Rate: 35 per thousand of
mortalities.
·
Life Expectancy: 68 for males; 70 for females.
·
Literacy: 71% for males; 85% for
females.
·
Currency: Syrian Lira.
·
Unemployment: 8% + 15% masked unemployment, according to
statistics for 1999.
·
Workforce in Economic Sectors: 30% in agriculture; 70%
in industry and services.
·
Ruling Party: Al – Baath Arab
Socialist party with a party coalition of what is called the National Progressive Front parties (made
up of six parties).
·
Regional Conflict: Conflict with Israel.
·
Political System: Republican, parliamentary.
·
Head of State: President Bashar Al –
Asad.
·
Vice – President: Abdulhaleem Khaddam/
Zuhair Masharqa.
·
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Farouk Al – Share’.
·
Minister of Defence: Mustafa Tlaas.
·
Newspapers Published in Damascus: Al – Thawra,
Tishreen, Al – Baath. The government owns all.
·
Two Weekly Newspapers: Al – Domari (private
newspaper), Al –Nour ( the newspaper of the communist party/ Yousif Al –
Qassam division).
·
Television: 3 channels; Channel one,
Channel 2 and the Satellite Channel. All are affiliated to the Syrian Ministry
of Information and are part of the General Radio and Television Corporation.
Where do we stand in the modern
information revolution? This is a question that has been pressuring both the
producers and consumers of information in Syria since 1996, since the advent of
satellite receivers (which was done secretly because the government prohibited
them without publicly announcing so, and afterwards made an announcement but
still without issuing a public declaration). It was followed by a series of
questions, somewhat similar to a geometric progression, such as:
Is it right to have governmental
information in a modern world of democratic détente, and absence of state clout
on the media? How capable is government media
in competing against that of the other and which cannot be restricted with
barriers? What remains of the public of government media in light of the great
competition in the world at large, especially after the appearance of
independent satellite channels?
While such questions have begun to
embarrass information producers, they remain secondary to consumers who can
access the publications or channels of their choice, whether through satellites
or Internet. However, some difficult
questions remain:
·
What is the percentage of viewers of Syrian
channels?
·
How are viewers distributed? And which channels and
programs are the most appealing to them?
·
What are the Syrians’ most popular programs?
These questions are difficult to
answer for the following reasons:
1. The absence of research, statistics
and public opinion centers.
2. Research is left to university
students who undertake it in the context of seminars or post–graduate
studies. Their attempts are hampered by
a number of restrictions including lack of seriousness on the part of the
surveyed public.
3. Lack of interest on the part of
information institutions in identifying the likes and preferences of the
people; in spite of the fact that they should be most concerned with the means
to promote their production and mood trends of consumers.
The above three
reasons are sufficient for us to say that any statistics are mere indications,
which do not rise to the level of exact knowledge of the needs of the consuming
public. Moreover, the work of government-owned
media is based on the state necessities and not on the needs of the
public. It must be said that public
opinion surveys on which this study is based are limited by such restrictions. For these reasons, this study does not claim
the accuracy of its sources. The author
was impelled to focus on impressions rather than data, which can provide
measurable and steady facts.
The Syrian radio station was
established more than fifty years ago in the early forties, following Syria’s
independence. The radio station was at the beginning affiliated with the
General Directorate of Post and, therefore, the General Director at the time,
Tawfik Al–Jabi, was charged with the project.
Thus the radio station was considered post.
The decision to establish a radio
station was issued in 1947, and it was first headed by the late poet, Saleem
Al–Zarakly. At the beginning it had five
kilowatts of power and its transmission was limited to Damascus after which
Aleppo was included. Because the
corporation had a general objective at the time to cover most of Syria and the
neighboring nations, transmission stations were thereafter increased to sixteen
distributed all over the country (Saboura, Adra, Qasioon, Al–Suweida, Hims,
Saraqeb, Al–Hasaka, Tartous and Deir–Alzor.)
At the beginning, it had no more than ten employees.
Syrian radio has developed over the
years and now transmits round the clock on directed frequencies, short wave,
medium wave, and FM; and in different languages (English, two hours; Spanish,
two hours 15 minutes; Turkish, one hour; German, one hour; Hebrew, one hour;
Russian, one hour and Arabic for the rest of the transmission).
Syrian
television was inaugurated, and merged with Radio Syria in one corporation, in
1960; and its transmission was in black and white until 1980. It strives to
cover most of Syria and the neighboring countries with two local channels and
one satellite channel, by means of 26 transmission stations distributed all
over the country: northern, eastern and middle areas, Tartous, Al–Ladeqia and
Al–Thawra.
It has also
purchased a C Band satellite reception and transmission station to cover areas
included in the transmission of ARABSAT television channels. Syrian Satellite Television Channel began its
transmission of programs in all areas of interest on 1st of June
1995. Four months before the end of 1999
it began to transmit 24 hours a day.
Which
Channels Do the Syrian Watch?
Stat Ebsos
Company was commissioned by the Arab Corporation for Advertisement – Syria to
undertake a study on printed, audio and visual media in Syria. The study was completed in March 1998 and
included all regions of the country.
With the cooperation with the Central Statistics Bureau, 2103 citizens
were randomly selected through the techniques of Ebsos (which is a member of
Ebsos International Group that specializes in statistical studies and has
branches in more than 17 countries). The
sample constituted of 1039 males (49.4%) and 1064 females (50.6%) aged 15 and
above.
The main
objective of the study was to provide percentages of viewers, listeners and
readers of all media. The outcomes would
constitute the means by which advertisers would be enabled to direct their
campaigns. The study showed very strange
results: The percentage of citizens who
watch the local Syrian channel was 77%, which is very high as opposed to
percentages of viewers of local television in countries of the region (Lebanese
Television –36% and Jordan Television - 68%).
The results of
the Ebsos study proved that Syrians watch their local television in spite of
their ability to receive local televisions of neighboring countries such as
LBC, Future Television and Lebanese television (Lebanon), Jordan Television, as
well as some Iraqi and Turkish channels (depending on their geographical
location).
According to the
results of the study Syrian television has kept its viewers, in spite of the
high percentage of homes that have satellite receivers (18% in comparison with
other countries such as Lebanon: 14% and Jordan: 13%); and Syria’s reception of
satellite channels from all over the Globe.
These do not
constitute a threat of substantial competition to Syrian television. Naturally, local neighboring televisions and
satellite channels have drawn some viewers, but not during prime time. In other words, Syrian Television (Channel
One) has the highest viewing rates in prime time (75.7%, in the evening, and 56.2% at night),
bearing in mind that evening time extends from 6 to 10 pm. and night time from
10 pm. till end of transmission.
In spite of the
great number of satellite channels transmitting from all over the Globe, the
percentage of people who watch the Syrian Satellite Channel is at the high of
34.5% and increases during the morning hours to 51%. The satellite channel is transmitted during
this period through the second local channel and is therefore received in homes
that do not have satellite receivers.
This explains the increase from 34.5% to 51%.
According to
this study, viewing rates vary from one region to another: The highest accumulative rate of Channel One
viewers is in the middle region (90.5% of people inhabiting that area), and is
followed by the eastern parts (82.9% of the total inhabitants of the region). As for the viewing rates of all television
channels, regardless of any particular ones, they are as follows:
11.6% of adults
aged 15 and above watch television in the morning; 18.7% in the afternoon;
37.1% in the evening and 32.5% at night.
The morning period is till noon, whereas the afternoon period extends
from noon to 6 pm, the evening period from 6 to 10 pm and nighttime from after
10 pm. The study showed that the evening
period is the prime time for Channel One, while Channel Two has the highest
rates at night. Prime time for the
Satellite Channel is in the morning.
The above were
the results of the opinion poll carried out by a renowned international company
(Ebsos). There are, however, other
opinion polls that have had significantly different results. The reason for this is one of two possible
factors:
·
Firstly: Deficiency in the mechanisms used in one or both polls.
·
Secondly: The two–year
difference between the two polls may be the reason for this big difference in
figures and results. The poll carried
out by the Faculty of Journalism of Damascus University was in 1996 and was
limited to Damascus; while Ebsos carried out its poll in 1998, covered a wider
population area and included ten times the number of people surveyed by the
university.
What are the
results of Damascus University’s study and what are the mechanisms used for its
poll?
The Opinion
Poll Carried Out by Damascus University
A group of
students of journalism from Damascus Universities, under the supervision of Dr.
Adeeb Khadoor, carried out an opinion poll of the viewers of Syrian
Television. The researcher relied on
students who were specifically selected and trained for this purpose. Those lived in various areas of Damascus and
were therefore familiar with the inhabiting families. In light of the information they have on
these families, a sample was selected according to several variables such as:
sex, education, profession and age. The sample constituted of the following:
·
Males: 130 (89.6%
·
Females: 15 (10.4%)
·
Profession/ Businessmen/women: 70 (48.4%)
·
Government employees: 62 (42.7%)
·
Unemployed: 13 (8.9%)
·
Total: 145 (100%)
This study
entitled “Viewers of Satellite Television in Damascus” is a descriptive,
exploratory and field research.
Obviously, it does not include the general public viewing satellite
television, but is restricted to the first member of the family – usually the
father or the mother in his absence.
200 forms were
handed out; 28 people refused to partake, and 27 did not take it
seriously. Therefore, 55 forms were
cancelled and the study was based solely on the forms, which were filled out
properly. According to the research
supervisor, Dr. Adeeb Khadoor, researchers faced great obstacles; some of which
were general, such as the absence of necessary scientific research
infrastructure and lack of Arabic and foreign references and resources. Others were operational, such as difficulties
in dealing with the surveyed individuals due to their lack of experience in this
area, their suspicion and their sometimes purposefully giving inaccurate
answers.
The following
are the results of the study, which its supervisor admits, was based on
imprecise indications:
How is
Television Watched, and How Much?
It seems that
watching satellite television has grown to be a daily and regular habit. However, there remains a large percentage
(42.7%) of people whose viewing of satellite channels is still irregular. This can be explained by their as yet
unbroken link with local television, the period of getting acquainted with
satellite channels and their programs and the absence of family traditions with
regard to watching them.
Naturally, the
large part of the public watch satellite television in the evening and at night
(84.1%) as opposed to (15.9%) who watch it in the morning and afternoon. This is explainable by the fact that most
people included in the sample are employed, and only a small number of them can
watch television at work. Since people
regard television as a source of entertainment, the best place to watch it is
home after work and at leisure time.
45.6% of the surveyed sample watch satellite television less than two
hours a day. This is because most of them are employed and there are some
interesting programs on the local channel that they are still keen on watching
(such as local soap operas and sports and children programs).
The Syrian
viewer remains attached to the local characteristics. 17.9% watch the Syrian Satellite Channel and
are big fans of soap operas. This
explains the high viewing rate of the Egyptian Satellite Channel among Syrians
(19.3%). Viewers, however, are also
attracted to balanced, fast and attractive coverage. They prefer new programs, the forms and presentation
of which are varied and innovative. This
is reflected in the rates of ART (24.8%), LBC (12.4) and Dubai (11.7%). Other satellite channels could not present
anything new or different whether in their programs, soap operas, or
coverage. They are too localized to
attract non–native viewers, except for a curious and knowledge-seeking
few. These are the viewing rates
according to the 1996 poll carried out by Damascus University:
·
LBC: 18 (12.4%)
·
Future: 7 (4.8%)
·
ART: 36 (24.8%)
The favorite
foreign channels are:
63.4% of the
sample prefer two channels, namely CNN (32.4%). These are followed by Turkish
channels (31%), Italian (11%) and French (8.9%). Otherwise, channels are similar in their
viewing rates except for a slight difference in favor of Euronews and
Eurosport.
Once again we
notice that the Syrian viewer favors programs and not channels. This is made clear in the changes that have
occurred by 2001. These are shown in the
opinion poll carried out by students of social sciences in Damascus University
under conditions similar to those of the 1996 survey undertaken by the
journalism students. Students
distributed 200 forms on a random sample of viewers in Damascus. Results were completely different from those
of the 1996 survey, and showed viewing rates to be as follows:
·
Syrian channel: 19 (10.27%)
·
Egyptian channel: 8 (4.32%)
·
MBC: 62 (33.51%)
·
Al–Jazeera: 74 (40%)
·
Future: 22 (11.89)
15 forms were
not considered because the ones who filled them did not take them seriously.
All opinion
polls show that entertainment is the chief motivator behind a choice of which
channel. Syrians are transient viewers looking for their favorite programs and
not their favorite channels. It has been
noticed that, since the beginning of MBC’s "Who wants to be a
Millionaire", people have directed their dishes towards the station that
broadcasts it.
However, viewing
priorities changed when dishes were redirected towards Future following this
channel’s broadcast of reruns of this program. Al–Jazeera had the highest
viewing rates during the first days of the American war in Afghanistan. This results in the discrepancies in outcomes
of public opinion polls. However, the
one thing that remained constant in all polls was that viewers look for
entertainment more than anything else.
The research carried out by students in Damascus University included a
question regarding the reason for owning a satellite receiver. Responses revealed the following figures:
·
Obtaining a balanced coverage:
34 (23.4%)
·
Entertainment: 44 (30.3%)
·
Social appearances: 5 (3.4%)
·
Local television: 25 (17.2%)
·
Pressure from the wife: 13 (8.38%)
·
Knowledge and information: 20 (13.7%)
This 1996 survey
which we think still applies shows that the one strongest motivation for owning
a satellite receiver (30.3%) is entertainment, followed by watching modern,
objective and balanced television programs (23.4%), finding an alternative to
local television (17.2%), social factors such as social appearance/pressure
from the children/pressure from the wife: 3.4. %, 2.7%, 8.9% respectively. The least important motive appeared to be
gaining knowledge and accessing information from a variety of sources (13.7%).
The use of
satellite receivers began to spread in 1996. By 2001 satellite dishes almost
dominated the roofs of houses in spite of the fact that the original state
prohibition on them was never officially lifted. Discussions about this subject have now
quieted down after they almost turned into a social, moral and even political
problem.
In 1996, the
survey of Damascus University showed that 58.6% of the surveyed sample thought
that satellite dishes and receivers were a necessity that should be made
available free of charge and with no restrictions.
15.8% believed
them not only unnecessary but also a form of foreign cultural invasion that is
intellectually, morally and religiously damaging and should therefore be
stopped.
25.5% thought
that receiving these broadcasts was good and beneficial, but should be
monitored to alleviate the negative impacts of some programs. This dialogue, which was logical at the time,
no longer takes place. The questions
that were asked yesterday are no longer relevant issues and one rarely hears
them nowadays. The questions currently
asked are related to the possibility of Syrian Television rising to the level
of Arab and foreign channels and competing with them; and to the programs
presented on the Syrian screen. This is
a result of a resignation to the fact that satellite receivers cannot be
curtailed.
Under the
pressure of competition, television producers are attempting to make competitive
programs such as political talk shows via satellite, or entertainment
programs. However, these programs have
fallen under the clout of yesterday’s mentalities, which believe that
television is primarily a tool for governmental propaganda more than it is a
relationship between a producer and a consumer.
This is part of
what is called television censorship, which remains the greatest obstacle
hindering Syrian television from competing with other channels and specifically
with independent and expatriate channels.
This calls for shedding light on the restrictions upon which Syrian
censorship bases its prohibition and permission of television material.
Censorship on
Drama and Program Productions
Basically,
prohibition or permission is oral. There
are no censorial laws that regulate them except for those that are imposed by
the current political instant. For
example, any criticism of the Soviet Union was prohibited until its fall; when
it became possible to criticize it and its experience. However, these criticisms were shy and
reluctant at the beginning.
There are other
examples: At a certain time, the Syrian media targeted American policy, but
this criticism was dampened down in a later period. Therefore, it can be said that the media’s
stand is a response to and a translation of the government’s official
position.
This is less
severe as far as cultural and entertainment programs are concerned, where the
only taboos are sex and religion. This applies to state drama and program
productions. Sex and religion are the
only taboos remaining from the time television was established. Other taboos
have fallen as far as entertainment and cultural programs are concerned, and
there is more room for counter opinions.
What are the
Programs Produced by Syrian Television?
The table below
shows the priorities of production in Syrian Television by quantity:
Averages of television programs during the
second quarter of 2001
|
Type of Program |
Duration in
Minutes |
% |
|
|
Cultural
Program |
1900 |
7 |
|
|
Sports |
4000 |
15 |
|
|
Religious |
600 |
2 |
|
|
Children |
2200 |
8 |
|
|
Local Soap
Operas |
3100 |
12 |
|
|
Arabic Soap
Operas |
2000 |
8 |
|
|
Miscellaneous
Drama |
1000 |
4 |
|
|
Varieties |
3300 |
13 |
|
|
Songs Programs |
1500 |
6 |
|
|
Music |
650 |
2 |
|
|
Documentaries |
500 |
2 |
|
|
Political
Programs |
900 |
3 |
|
|
News Programs |
2500 |
10 |
|
|
Organizations’
Programs |
500 |
2 |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
1500 |
6 |
|
The averages for programs of the Syrian
Satellite Television Channel in the second quarter of 2001 were as follows:
|
T Type of
Program |
Duration in
Minutes |
% |
|
C Cultural |
1800 |
8 |
|
Sports |
1200 |
6 |
|
R Religious |
700 |
3 |
|
Children |
1300 |
6 |
|
Local drama |
2700 |
12 |
|
V Varieties |
2500 |
11 |
|
Songs Programs |
2100 |
10 |
|
Arabic Movies |
1000 |
5 |
|
Documentaries |
500 |
2 |
|
News Programs |
2500 |
11 |
|
Political |
1100 |
5 |
|
Organizations’ Programs |
800 |
4 |
|
Music |
950 |
4 |
|
Miscellaneous |
2950 |
13 |
The above tables
show that cultural programs, followed by sports, varieties and drama have the
highest percentages of broadcast minutes on Syrian Television.
This, however,
is not due to public demand, as some may think.
If we go beyond the above figures and statistics and the results of the
opinion polls carried out by both Ebsos and Damascus University (which are not
completely dependable), we will see that the emphasis on such programs results
from a number of factors; first of which is the ease of producing them
especially that the primary material is mostly taken from other television
stations; as well as their wide censorial margin.
The truth in
this statement can be observed in Syrians’ extensive viewing of documentaries
and political programs broadcast on Al–Jazeera and Abu Dhabi. Their programs almost took Syrians from their
local screen, while Syrian Television remained out of the competition.
What is the
Principal Reason for Its Refraining from Competition?
The most
prominent reason for this abstention is that independent stations were launched
with a search for funding, including advertisement, in the background. This also applies for stations that are
subsidized by governments or unknown entities.
The government–owned stations remain in financially stable
conditions. Funding is not one of their
priorities.
Their priorities
lie in the state propaganda project, which dictates slowness in pace and
initiative, as well as a neglect of the demands of customers, which are regarded
as receptors of whatever they produce.
However, neglecting a client will finally lead him/her to search for a
station that would fulfill his/her needs and provide answers to asked
questions. Entertainment is also sought
after in this day and age in which alienation extends from one’s home to family
ties which are just about to fall apart; and through the pressures television
exerts as an equalizer of the disequilibria in the lives of receptors.
These burdens in
general do not fall in the framework of government television productions. If some exceptions occur, they are the
productions of employees who undertake them for personal fame or professional
ambition. Most of those face
disappointments and leave their studios as a result of bureaucratic relations
that hinder initiative or limit it.
This is in
addition to their low salaries, which may sustain them but will not allow them
the means to search for ways to improve their experience. Moreover, they cannot
afford to risk spending all their time in a field even if it might help improve
their lives and fulfill their needs, which must be different from those of
professions with less contact with the general public.
The
Subsequent Developments Related to Syrian Viewers
The cost of
setting up a satellite dish and its other requirements is one of the lowest in
comparison to neighboring countries.
This is due to a number of factors first of which is that the receivers,
which are the most expensive, are mostly smuggled from other countries
especially from Lebanon. Therefore no
customs are paid. As for the other requirements, they are manufactured in local
workshops, which makes their prices low.
This makes the cost affordable to the Syrian citizen, and now almost all
the roofs of Syrian homes have satellite dishes. The total cost does not exceed $300, and this
has led to a widespread of satellite dishes and has affected the extent and
ways of viewing.
Satellite
channel broadcast has also affected the moods of the people, which swing
according to what they see, and has imposed viewing traditions that vary from
one stage to another. If we rely on
observation and induction (due to the above mentioned absence of reliable
studies and opinion polls), we will notice that there is a complete change in
the moods of people from one period to another as far as their preferences in
stations and programs are concerned. Let
us consider the Syrians’ favorite stations and programs:
Towards the end
of 1997, Syrians drifted towards social and political talk shows, when Imad
Eddine Adeeb’s star was on the rise as an intelligent political
interlocutor. The viewing public at the
time favored political dialogues that were based on daring questions and
political disclosure. During that same period viewers followed Hala Sarhan’s
programs which were based on discussions including counter opinions, and that
tackled sensitive social issues related to moralities and popular concepts such
as sex, religion and family problems.
After that, and when Al–Jazeera began broadcasting, people
enthusiastically followed a program called The Counter Direction, (Al Itijah Al
Moakes) which is still aired but no longer holds its viewers.
Later that same
year, people turned to MBC now attracted to "Who wants to be a
Millionaire". They also followed,
albeit to a lesser extent, other game shows that were broadcast during Ramadan
(the month of fasting and also of watching television for most fasting
people). If this impression is correct,
what are the reasons for it?
In the late
1990’s it was necessary and important for Syrians to change the traditions
imposed on them by their national television. These were conservative, cautious
and based on government propaganda, which made them one dimensional in their
view regarding any phenomena including the social ones.
Then came Emad
Eddine Adeeb’s program which broke the viewing traditions and dialogue
mechanisms the public was familiar with and which have become monotonous. The public therefore was attracted to this
program as well as to Hala Sarhan’s talk shows, which broke yesterday’s taboos
for the Syrians.
These programs
became the voice of the unheard for a while until they were exhausted by their
repetition of subjects. Another taboo was broken by Al-Jazeera with their live
direct political dialogues between two opposing sectors. Topics revolved around different issues
foremost of which is democracy, as well as slandering Arab regimes. This is
something Arabs enjoy, whichever country they come from, not only because of
their opposition to the regimes concerned, but also because of people’s
inability to voice their opinions regarding political performance and
legitimacy.
In this regard,
Al – Jazeera played a compensatory role, which was finally exhausted when the
unfamiliarity lost its novelty and the glow was dimmed. People started to
complain that talk shows are repeating issues and presenting exhausted
dialogues. However, Al-Jazeera remains
one of the most viewed channels, not for its programs, but for its news and
correspondents.
News is the most
mobile material and this channel is the most progressive in this area. Political opposition was not enough to hold
the Al–Jazeera viewer, whereas its news were able to do so, thus maintaining
the equilibrium of the station. The
moods of the viewers were divided in two during Ramadan 2001:
·
First: television drama and entertainment programs in which MBC was
most prominent through its program “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and its
broadcast of television drama.
·
Second: the news in which Al–Jazeera was most prominent. We believe that if an accurate field poll
opinion were carried out, the viewing public would be distributed among these
two stations in addition to Abu Dhabi channel which includes both news and
drama.
This conclusion
leads us to another question:
Is political opposition enough to keep
viewers?
By relying on
the logic of induction and observation, we can tell that it is not enough to
hold viewers. The Syrian public is
familiar with a channel of open opposition; i.e. ANN, which is an expatriate
channel owned by one of the fiercest opponents to the Syrian regime. The channel can be viewed in Syria like any
other, but still its viewing rates are negligible. Most probably, people do not view it
regularly, i.e. they are chance viewers and not constant followers of its
programs.
Where does that
conclusion lead?
The above
conclusion, if added to the total readings in this study point to the
following:
There are facts
and there are variables. The facts are
that the viewing public looks to be entertained, and entertainment comes in the
form of television drama and unusual programs.
The variables are that this public will change the direction of his/her
satellite dish as soon as the unusual becomes ordinary. This makes betting on the continuity of any
program a losing one. What applies to
some viewers need not apply to others. The Americans, for example, still
eagerly watch Larry King’s program.
The above
conclusions may be related to television producers who should realize that the
success of a program depends on its being unusual and on ensuring that it does
not turn into just another new ordinary program. This is an obstacle that is difficult to
overcome. What is required is to observe
the preferences of the Syrian viewer, which are most probably those of the Arab
viewers in general. This means that any
Arab television station needs to search for a formula that takes entertainment
into its consideration.
What Are the
Proposals that may be Offered to the Syrian and Other Arab Televisions With
General Frameworks?
Before making
proposals to Syrian and other government televisions, maybe we should look at
some future projections and present indications. The opinion polls (in spite of our
reservations on their accuracy) showed the viewing rates of Syrian television
to be high.
The reason for
this correlates with how viewing takes place and who controls it. According to the Damascus University Survey
of 1996, 62.7% of the surveyed population watch television in groups. This means that viewing is controlled by the
father or mother; i.e. by a conservative, cautious and watchful viewer.
This tradition,
which most of the times is practiced in the living room, and includes the whole
family, will necessarily be broken. It
will be replaced with individual viewing in one’s personal room, which, of
course, is more democratic. Such a transition will surely introduce changes in
viewing habits and in the selection of channels.
A large segment
of young Syrian viewers do not watch foreign channels (English/French), due to
their lack of language fluency. However,
this percentage is rapidly decreasing due to the increase in numbers of youth
who are currently learning foreign languages.
This allows us
to say that a high percentage of youth, and especially fans of western songs
and sports, will turn to foreign channels in search for what is lacking on
their national and other Arab channels.
These will lose their viewers if they do not renew and innovate their
programs and explore the needs of the public; bearing in mind that the major
international stations, not only respond to the needs of their viewers, but are
also inventing new needs for them.
Are There Any
Consequent Developments with Regard to Syrian Viewers?
As may be noticed
the above outcomes and deductions were built on opinion polls that are old in
terms of the speed and volume of changes in communication means and television
production. This has spurred us to
prepare a new survey. We were assisted in its distribution and collection of
answers by a group of journalists from the Syrian Qasiun newspaper
(which is unlicensed albeit regular).
The questions asked in this survey were:
1. What is your favorite Arab
satellite channel?
2. What is your favorite
television program?
3. What is the program you watch
regularly?
200 copies of
the survey were distributed as follows:
100 to
homemakers and 100 to different sectors of young people in universities and
public life. They were distributed in
this manner to clarify the extent of the effects of group television viewing,
by which we mean viewing that includes the whole family without due
consideration to individual moods. The
mother is the member of the family who stays at home the most and therefore
watches more television than the others.
Results of the opinion poll were as follows:
85 ladies filled
up the survey (15 copies remained unanswered) as follows:
33 said that
they do not have a favorite channel.
45 said they
prefer Future and MBC.
7 prefer Syrian
Satellite Channel.
62 of the ladies
said they regularly watch horoscope programs. 32 of these 62 said that they
follow the morning show of Future, where they can find out about their
horoscopes with Lebanese foreteller Carmen Shammas.
Game shows take
second place, especially Who wants to be a Millionaire, which is re-broadcast
on Future, followed by The Trap presented by Ibrahim Abu Joudeh. Third place goes to soap operas.
By analyzing the
above results, we can deduct the following:
Firstly, things
have changed since the last surveys, where results did not show followers of
horoscope programs to be a large segment of society. Secondly, housewives
occupied the largest part of the sample surveyed by this poll, and their
interests revolve around programs about family life, especially those on Future
and MBC, which diversify their programs.
This, however, was at the expense of other channels such as Al-Jazeera
and Abu Dhabi that pay more attention to analyses and political news.
Will the rates
of young people included in the opinion poll be similar to those of homemakers?
Of the 80
responses we had, 58 showed that the young do not have a favorite channel. 52 of the 58 said that they follow game shows
when they have the chance.
38 of the 80
prefer music and song programs as well as soap operas.
32 of the 80
enjoy sports programs and soap operas.
10 of 80 prefer
political programs and soap operas.
The above allows
us to deduct that the constant viewers are those of soap operas; while the rest
are variable and volatile. This agrees
to a large extent with the results of opinion polls carried out in the mid
1990’s and early 2000’s mentioned in this study. The earlier results, which suffered from
certain obstacles (inaccuracy and lack of seriousness on the part of the
surveyed public), provided sufficient indicators regarding the nature of Syrian
viewers and what they require.
Entertainment is the first priority.
Such types of viewing are probably imposed by the parents who hold the
remote control.
What are the
Reasons for This?
In order to
avoid an extensive analysis of overall results, we may restrict ourselves to
the main indicator that is the regular following of morning horoscopes, and the
reason for it:
Is it the lack
of clarity in people’s lives on earth that drives them to try to learn about
their futures in the skies?
Is it due to
despair from local programs that deal with culture, technology, politics, or
economy and their lack of credibility?
Is it due to the
public drawing back from political channels, even after they shattered
political taboos? Al-Jazeera, for example, kept people awake at night for many
years, did the unusual turn ordinary now?
In the opinion
of Zebengo Brinjinksy, one of the engineers of the modern world that
entertainment is one of the necessary pillars for the release of tension in
people. Undoubtedly the lack of
entertainment in the Soviet Union was one of the factors that led to the crash
of a system that made available free medical care and education and guaranteed
work opportunities. There is no doubt
that television viewers in Syria seek to release their tensions through Carmen
Shammas and game shows that are brought to them via satellite.
It can be
noticed that the Syrian screen since the beginning of this year, 2002, has been
attempting to entertain viewers that are neither its own, nor are they loyal to
any one station.
By following
these programs, including political ones, one can notice that they are trying
to add some vitality to production and presentation. Producers are making cautious steps in this
direction, but still some limitations remain.
Such limitations are related to the belatedness of these programs; thus
causing them to get lost in the geometric progression of television programs,
the success of which largely depends on timing. The basic element to be avoided
in television production is the repetition of programs similar to those already
produced by other stations. This puts
the Syrian screen a step behind other Arab satellite channels. This step, however, is not like a
mathematical process; it entails drawing a large number of viewers toward that
station which is a step ahead. How can
the Syrian channel overcome these obstacles?
What are the
Means of Attaining These Goals?
As long as the
government owns the television station, it would be difficult for it to follow
the pace of this age that is rapidly moving in an amazing geometrical
progression. It is also difficult to ask
governments to close down their information projects that publicize their
policies and interests. However,
governments, as owners of television stations, have two factors to
consider: Government necessities and the
needs of the public.
Taking these two
factors into consideration means being open to the other, which in this case is
the public. Society must be allowed to
express its needs on the screen, from which follows its participation in the
production of programs. Such
participation can be achieved either through private companies’ sponsorship of
certain programs or by advertisers who fund them. A share of broadcasting time should be
allocated to the private sector whose interests lie in the look out for
people’s needs. This sector is also more deeply motivated than the government,
which fund their stations to produce programs irrespective of the needs of
society, which is the actual consumer of these programs.
Such proposals
will come up against the restrictions of the governments. When governments are the owners, they will
surely think that not only do they have a hold on the culture and moods of the
people, but that they can also define and manage them. This prevents them from accepting partners or
the participation of others.
Needless to say
that such an illusion will be broken by satellite television (as it surely has
already). However, understanding may
come too late to these governments.
Some Arab
government have realized this, among which is Qatar that permitted Al–Jazeera
to broadcast from it, and although it carries the Qatari nationality, it is
completely independent. Abu Dhabi has
also allowed its satellite channel to branch in other directions. While remaining under the wing of the
government, it did not merge with it. It
has therefore succeeded in respecting governmental necessities without ignoring
the needs of society, thus attracting the Arab viewer, and becoming a competing
station.
© Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 2002