 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 25 Nov. - 1 Dec. 1999 Issue No. 457 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 25 Nov. - 1 Dec. 1999 Issue No. 457
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Obituary
The end of the symphony
Salah Zaki: 1928-1999
By Samir Sobhi
Salah Zaki, a renowned journalist and radio and television broadcaster, was killed this week in a tragic car accident.
Zaki, one of the founders of Egyptian Television, was known for his extraordinary ability to work in complete harmony with his colleagues both above and below him in the print and audiovisual media hierarchy. He was often described as an "orchestra conductor" because of this capacity to bring things together, coordinate work smoothly, and give the same attention and care to everything he worked on.
Zaki received his BA from the University of Alexandria, then came to Cairo to work in journalism, but soon joined the Egyptian Broadcasting Corporation. He happened to be on duty in the early morning when the 1952 Revolution broke out, and the first voice many anxious listeners heard on that fateful July day was his, as he broadcast the revolution's very first communiqué.
I knew Salah Zaki as a radio and TV broadcaster and a professor of journalism. He was also a friend, albeit one I did not see as often as I would have liked to. We would meet every now and then, on the rooftop terrace of cartoonist Zohdi's house, where a group of intellectuals gathered to change the world, or at least to talk about it. The group included Mukhtar El-Soueifi, Sabri Moussa and many other intellectuals and artists.
Like all journalists, Salah Zaki was an adventurer. He loved to travel, and he loved to work. He would have gone anywhere for a story, and was always full of ideas about how to improve his profession. His most famous radio programme was Al-'Alam Bayna Yadayk (The World's in Your Hands).
Like all of us, Salah Zaki was afraid of dying. Like all of us, he wanted to leave a lasting trace, something people would remember. Unlike many, however, he may have achieved his goal. His talent as well as his humanity will be remembered.
Years ago, someone asked me: "Whom would you like to see become 30 years younger?" I immediately responded, "Salah Zaki." When he heard about this, he laughed and said, "I wish."
