Feb 18 2011
Still missing in the Arab world: assembly, free speech
DAOUD KUTTAB
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
Ten years ago, I established AmmanNet, the Arab world’s first Internet radio that used technology to create audio and text content freely. Independent radio didn’t exist in Jordan at the time, and it still doesn’t in most Arab countries. The only stations allowed then were governmental. Terrestrial radio and TV broadcasts in most Arab countries is still a government monopoly spewing cheap government propaganda.
With the help of Palestinian FM radio stations, we were able to circumvent restrictions by having Jordanians listen to independently produced broadcasts created in Jordan – we were thus able to do something illegal, but in a totally legal way. Since then, Jordan has allowed us and others to broadcast on FM while our website and tens of new websites continue to challenge traditional media. Continue Reading »