May 16, 2007
"Windows to the Middle East": A media exhibit showcasing TV from Israel and the Arab world
Sharon Eberson reviews the current shows playing at the Museum of Television and Radio in Manhattan for Scripps Howard News Service.
Of particular interest, The MT&R event that runs into June, featuring "Windows to the Middle East", a media exhibit showcasing television from Israel and the Arab world that provides an opportunity to see some of the programming that the peoples of the region are watching themselves."
MTR's introduction: "Most Americans know little about the world of Middle East television beyond high-profile satellite news channels like Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya and the fiery anti-West rhetoric reported about in so many news stories.
In fact, the Middle East is home to over three hundred channels—some state-run, others private, commercial enterprises—that offer all genre of programming: news, films, talk shows, sports, comedy, soap operas, music videos, drama, and children’s shows, in addition to religious programming, which plays an especially prominent role in the region.
Like Americans, Middle Easterners watch television not just for information and nourishment, but also for relaxation and escape, to laugh or be swept away by dramatic narrative. “In many respects,” according to USC Annenberg School for Communication senior fellow Gordon Robison, “the Arab TV landscape is a much more familiar place, and far less dogmatic overall, than most Americans imagine.” .
Middle Eastern neighborhoods are dotted with satellite receivers atop houses, as the vast majority of people watch “free to air,” meaning without subscribing to any particular satellite or cable service."
Sharon Eberson mentions there is also a giant map of the Middle East, explaining the channels available in each country, and information throughout the exhibition on who controls the news there, is invaluable. "
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/tv/archives/2007/05/015944.htm
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