Broadcasters lose licenses in fees row
Stations say decision ‘harsh and unfair’ Sabine Darrous
Daily Star staff
The Independent Communication Network and United Television
faced harsh measures from the government Thursday when the Cabinet decided to withdraw
their broadcast licenses after both stations failed to settle outstanding dues.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi raised the issue of outstanding dues in Thursday’s
Cabinet session, driving ministers to withdraw the licenses of ICN and UTV which, due to
financial difficulties have been off the air since they were granted their licenses two
years ago.
Officials at the stations said that the decision was “harsh and unfair,” saying
they had until mid-December to settle their dues and return to the air.
ICN official Ziad Choueiry said he was not given any warning that the government was going
to withdraw the license so quickly, adding that there was little recourse to appeal the
decision.
“We were an exceptional case, because initially we were not granted frequencies, like
other stations were, and there were many loopholes in our legal status,” Choueiry
said, adding that the frequencies designated to ICN were being used by the Lebanese
Broadcasting Corporation, Tele-Lumiere and Al-Manar.
“How can the government expect us to pay the fees, which are not a small sum of
money, when our legal and technical situation was not settled yet?” he asked.
Choueiry said ICN had LL550 million in outstanding dues to the government.
A source close to Aridi said both stations knew very well there had been a deadline given
to all audio-visual media outlets to settle their dues. The source said the stations also
knew that without payment, the licenses would be revoked.
“They sent us (the minister’s office) letters asking for more time and the
minister left the issue for the Cabinet to decide,” the source said.
He said the Cabinet has offered payment options, including allowing the stations to pay 25
percent of their dues as a first step, with the rest to be paid in installments.
All stations, with the exception of ICN and UTV, have paid the 25 percent and many have
settled all their dues, such as LBC, New TV, Future Television and even Murr Television,
before it was closed down on Sept. 4 by a court order.
The source said the original deadline set by the Cabinet for stations to settle their
legal and financial status was Sept. 15, but that it was extended until the beginning of
October.
The government gave ICN and UTV “a grace period” extending until December to
start broadcasting or face a withdrawal of their license.
Officials from the two stations said they were not ready to begin broadcasting by
December, but admitted that they could have gone on air on a
trial basis.
The source also said that Voice of Lebanon Radio, owned by the Phalange Party, missed a
payment installment last month and now has to pay a doubled figure, LL70 million, by the
end of the month.
The source said the government was not being lenient with stations, even those owned by
government officials or those with close ties to senior officials.
The source indicated that payment options were the only leniency the country’s media
outlets could expect in terms of financial matters.
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