French satellite operator Eutelsat suspended UK-based TV channel Al Magharibia after the Algerian authorities complained about it. Efforts by Al Magharibia management to open another channel called Hirak T V were met with a similar abrupt closing. Hirak TV operated for a few hours before Eutelsat decided to shut it down again. The North Africa Journal contacted Eutelsat, but it has not received any response.
All Algerian opposition figures agree that the reasons behind the decision are political. Al Magharibia has been a lot more balanced in its coverage of the Algerian anti-government protest movement, opening its platform to opposition figures. The latter see a direct involvement by the French government, which has allegedly put pressure on Eutelsat to halt Al Magharibia broadcasting. If this is the case, legal action is likely underway, although not explicitly confirmed, and which could affect the image of both Eutelsat and France, who now stand accused of supporting an authoritarian regime.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Al Magharibia said it was the subject of a complaint by the Algerian authorities to Eutelsat, because of its coverage of the anti-regime rallies in Algeria, which have been taking place every Friday and Tuesday since February 22, 2019. The channel says it has been banned from broadcasting since October 15 at 16:30 because its messages on the Hirak movement has been reaching the Algerian population, offering it a different read and analysis on the situation in the country. Eutelsat was responsible for broadcasting in coordination with the Egyptian telecommunications satellite operator Nilesat. Owned by the Egyptian government, Nilesat has also likely sided against Al Magharibia due to the close ties between the Egyptian and Algerian regimes and their common goal of preventing regime change in both countries.
According to the complaint filed by the Algerian authorities, Al Magharibia has no accreditation or authorization to broadcast and cover events in Algeria. But Al Magharibia says it has no office and does not broadcast from Algeria, and therefore it is not subject to an Algerian license requirement. In an editorial, an Al Magharibia representative said if this were the case, then “we would need licenses from Pakistan, Iraq, Ethiopia, etc.” Al Magharibia says it works in accordance with British laws and that it has a license to practice journalistic work and broadcast by the UK authorities. It also claims to be subject to the rules of the British media regulator (OFCOM).
The Al Magharibia affair sheds some light on the possible intricate ties between the owners of big broadcasting platforms and powerful regimes that are blocking the democratic movements in parts of the world. Critics point to the role of the French government backing the Algerian regime in working to prevent democratic change and imposing a status quo. The Algerian military command has been pushing for a forced election on 12 December 2019, in its third attempt to restore a regime that the Algerian people refuse. But it has met with an extremely vocal opposition, with many opponents located outside Algeria. Opposition figures say with the support of the French and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) governments, the Algerian military government has increased anti-opponent attacks on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and now France appears to have pressure Eutelsat to silence opposition from the only TV station received by Algerian households. We also note the sudden vanishing of Amal TV, another TV station critical to the Algeria authorities. Critics have also noted a complete drop of coverage of the Algerian pro-democracy movement by France 24, a TV owned by the French government, and Al Jazeera, owned by Qatar. There is virtually no more international coverage of Algeria, including the mass arrests and human rights abuses.
The case is now front and center in identifying where Europe is headed in terms of its support for the legitimate aspirations of a people. Courts in the United Kingdom and France will likely get involved to address this unusual abrupt halt in a broadcast service by a TV channel that appears to have broken no rule but is found guilty of free speech and free media. This is going to be a major test for European courts, which could either restore the image of Europe as a beacon of democracy or confirm that nothing has changed. However, given that the justice system is slow to respond, the Algerian military may now have enough time to impose an unwanted election without dissenting voices before a court decides in favor or against Al Magharibia.
