The Ratings War

The commercial potentialities and political/cultural threats of satellite TV are widely recognised in the Arab world and in Iran. While entrepreneurs and state broadcasters have been quick to seize the opportunities of the new broadcasting era, governments have responded uneasily to the new technology. This ambivalence is exemplified by the Saudi response to developments. On the one hand, leading Saudi businessmen have invested heavily in pan-Arab satellite TV channels. On the other hand, the government has tried to ban satellite dishes in the Kingdom.