“Selling air”...a phenomenon that disturbs the Egyptian media and stigmatizes its satellite channels

After releasing about 2,000 African Houbara birds into the Al-Ameed Reserve in Matruh (northwestern Egypt) 4 years ago, Egypt continues to intensify its efforts to save these birds from extinction caused by poaching.

The project to save the African Houbara comes within the environmental partnership projects between Egypt and the International Fund for the Conservation of the Houbara in the United Arab Emirates. A meeting was held on Sunday in Cairo, which included the Egyptian Minister of Local Development and Environment, Dr. Manal Awad, and the Fund’s Board of Directors, to discuss aspects of Egyptian-Emirati cooperation in the field of wildlife protection.

Dr. Manal Awad stressed the Ministry’s keenness to enhance cooperation in the field of protecting natural reserves, and to benefit from specialized scientific expertise in developing management and protection mechanisms, in a way that contributes to preserving ecosystems and preserving biodiversity, taking into account the natural characteristics of each reserve and its environmental needs to preserve it for future generations.

The African Houbara bird is widespread in North African countries, including Egypt. In June 2022, the Al-Ameed Reserve in Matrouh Governorate witnessed the release and resettlement of 2,000 birds of this type, within the framework of the cooperation protocol between the Environmental Affairs Agency in Egypt and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation in the United Arab Emirates, which aims to implement research and joint activities to restore and preserve Houbara birds, exchange experiences and raise national capabilities in the field of wildlife protection and sustainable management of birds and key species.

Professor of Environmental Sciences at Ain Shams University, Dr. Abdel Masih Samaan, believes that efforts to preserve the African Houbara bird carry double importance. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the first immediate importance is to save it from extinction, and the greatest importance is related to maintaining environmental balance and biological diversity, which is the diversity of species and diversity within the same species,” explaining that “the extinction of an organism means the extinction of other organisms within the so-called food chain, and extinction affects the health of the ecosystem and the human being himself.”

During the meeting, the Egyptian Minister of Local Development and Environment directed “the formation of a specialized scientific committee that includes experts from outside the ministry and representatives of the natural reserves sector, to conduct an integrated study of the Al-Ameed Reserve, covering its characteristics, components and environmental formations, evaluating its biodiversity components, and determining the best mechanisms and procedures necessary to protect its natural resources and habitats, in a way that supports the sustainability of its ecosystems.”

Semaan asserts that “Egyptian efforts aim to stabilize and balance the ecosystem, by preserving endangered species. Even any organisms that do not represent direct importance to humans must be preserved to ensure the safety of the environment, which is a role played by Egyptian nature reserves. “These creatures constitute a form of natural heritage, including the African squid.”

Al-Ameed Reserve is located on the northwestern coast of Marsa Matrouh Governorate. It covers an area of 700 square kilometers and was declared a natural reserve in 1986.

The phenomenon of “selling air” on Egyptian satellite channels has increased recently, that is, renting broadcast hours to individuals or companies without the channels’ interference in the content. The Supreme Media Council monitored several violations and, at various intervals, called channels to investigate them. Experts and specialists consider this phenomenon a source of concern for the Egyptian media, as it is linked to the exploitation of broadcasting for commercial purposes or the pursuit of fame and spread.

A few days ago, the Complaints Committee of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation decided to summon the legal representative of the “Al-Hadath Al-Youm” channel for a hearing, in light of what the Council’s General Monitoring Department observed of violations of media codes in the content of episodes of the programs “Pulse of the Nation,” “Security and Safety,” “Red Line,” and “The Journey with Rawan.”

In the context of confronting this phenomenon, the committee decided, on October 5, to summon the legal representative of the “Hea” channel for a hearing, after the Monitoring Department observed violations of the media codes in the content of episodes of the programs “Marwa Azzam Stories,” “Good Skin,” and “It’s Not a Coincidence,” which included mixing media material with advertising, and promoting slimming products of unknown origin, as well as claiming to interpret dreams and visions.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation defines itself, on its Facebook page, as “the authority competent in Egypt to protect opinion and thought.” Its work is regulated by Law No. (180) of 2018 and the regulations governing its work and its relevant committees.

For his part, media professor Dr. Hassan Ali, founder of the Viewers Protection Association, believes that “the problem lies in the Investment Guarantees and Incentives Law, according to which the free media zone was established in the Media Production City in 6th of October City, west of Cairo.” He added to Asharq Al-Awsat, “This law allows anyone with money to create a channel according to the specified conditions, without rules obligating channels not to sell air, which indicates a legal flaw that needs to be amended.”

Hassan Ali confirms that “this phenomenon stigmatizes channels and harms the profession, but also the state, by presenting strange topics in search of media ‘pops’.”

Dr. Sarah Fawzi, a specialist in digital media and a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Public Opinion Research and Studies at the Faculty of Media at Cairo University, believes that “the continued sale of air and the recurrence of violations call for firm stances from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, including stopping programs for long periods and imposing fines in the millions, instead of the current fines, with the need for the Media Syndicate to take a serious stance by holding broadcasters accountable for their violations.”

“The Return of Captain Kabonga” is the fourth film by young director Amir El-Shenawy, and it documents the dreams and disappointments of Egyptian wrestler Ashraf Mahrous, nicknamed “the strongest man in the world,” after he was able to break three Guinness World Records, including: “pulling an entire train weighing 279 pounds with his teeth alone,” and “moving a ship weighing up to 700 tons” on the Red Sea coast.

The film, which competes in the feature documentary competition at the ninth session of the El Gouna Film Festival, witnessed a remarkable presence of artists and filmmakers during its world premiere on Saturday. The film follows the journey of an exceptional wrestler from a small town on the outskirts of Ismailia Governorate (east of Cairo), who seeks to revive his dream of spreading the game of wrestling, and establishing a new ring to form a team of young wrestlers and train them to reach the international level, after the “Corona” pandemic forced him to stop, and in light of the difficult economic conditions that prompted him to sell the ring that he set up in a vacant lot in his village.

The film approaches that fragile aspect of the life of this giant, large-bodied, kind-hearted man, and how the increasing economic difficulties affected him. He traveled to the Emirates on a trip to search for a job that would guarantee him a degree of stability to achieve his dream, but he returned disappointed, and discovered that his great passion does not necessarily lead to a stable source of income that helps him support his family, and that entering the Guinness Book of Records only leads to fleeting success that does not even help him support himself.