Community radio in government retreat in Jordan but technical alternatives save the day

By Daoud Kuttab

The Jordanian government took a bad step on January 27th causing a major retreat to the progress made for independent radio. The Jordanian cabinet rejected a total of 13 applications for independent radio and television stations. The decision rolls back progress in the past few years which included the liberalization of the airwaves in Jordan.

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By DAOUD KUTTAB

AMMAN, January 12, 2009 (MENASSAT) – Last Friday was a slow day at the offices and studios of Radio al Balad in Amman. All the staff were off for the weekly holiday leaving a minuscule skeleton staff to run the station. But you would never have guessed it by listening to 92.4 FM in the Amman metropolitan area.

The station ran field interviews from throughout the city during what security sources said were some 30 protest actions on Friday. Play by play coverage went out on the airwaves as a huge rally was held at King Hussein Sports stadium, and as clashes with the Jordanian police took place later in the day.
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THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

By Daoud Kuttab
Guest Columnist
Published: Friday, February 29th, 2008
The Wilson School has done well by inviting Jordan’s King Abdullah II to speak about the Middle East. At a time when there are so many pundits trying to tell us what Arabs think, this is a rare opportunity for the Princeton community to hear an authentic Arab voice.
The occasion of the King’s visit reminds me of a day in the summer of 2000 when I had a chance to ask King Abdullah II a question. I was participating in a media conference organized by the International Press Institute, and we were invited to the Royal Court for an audience with the young monarch.
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By Daoud Kuttab

A decision by the outgoing Bakhit government rejecting an application for a radio license has exposed one of the major weaknesses of the current Jordanian Audio Visual Law. The applicant (author of this article) had requested permission to initiate a community radio station for the third largest city in Jordan, Zarqa. The request was made for the category of stations that would not broadcast news or political programming. No explanation for the rejection is made in the written decision made in the November 13 session. Clause 18b of the 2004 Audio Visual Law allows the council of ministers to refuse any request for a frequency without giving any explanation.
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The government rejected a petition to grant a local radio license for the third biggest city of Jordan, Zarqa.  In one of its last decision the outgoing Jordanian cabinet rejected the application by AmmanNet to set up a community radio station that will not broadcast news or politics. Continue Reading »

Following is the full version of the article (parts of which were edited in the Jordan Times version) 

The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition

The end of censorship? Daoud Kuttab,

THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 4, 2007

Quietly and without any fanfare, the decades-old censorship laws on the books in Jordan were scrapped earlier this month. The official gazette published an amendment to the regulation which ends the work of the Continue Reading »

This is the full version of the article ( an edited version appeared in the Jordan Times)

The end of censorship?

Daoud Kuttab,

THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 4, 2007

Quietly and without any fanfare, the decades-old censorship laws on the books in Jordan were scrapped earlier this month. The official gazette published an amendment to the regulation which ends the work of the government censors.

The head of the department of press and publication, Marwan Qteishat, says in media reports that Jordan is now like most other countries in which publishers may print whatever they wish without any prior censorship. The public at large, of course, is free to fight in court against any book they deem violates them or their community.

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Who censures the censors?

Daoud Kuttab

Quietly and without any fanfare, the decades-long pre-censorship laws on books in Jordan were scrapped earlier this month. The official gazette published an amendment to the regulation which ends the work of the government censors. Marwan Qteishat, head of the Press and Publications Department, said in media reports that Jordan is now like most other countries in which publishers are allowed to publish whatever they wish without pre-censorship. Continue Reading »

By Daoud Kuttab

Contrary to impulsive thinking, the real challenge to Jordan following the triple hotel bombing is not a security one. Blessed with a strong internal security apparatus, and a relatively homogeneous population, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has few strategic security issues to worry about. His real challenge is a socioeconomic one. Continue Reading »

What began as a Jordanian temporary procedure aimed at averting the possibility of mass Palestinian, is turning into an uncontrollable policy that is souring Jordanian-Palestinian relations. For nearly a year now Jordan has imposed tight measures on the crossing of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip into Jordan. The King Hussein Bridge on the river Jordan is for most Palestinian the only available passage point out of Palestine. Continue Reading »