20 - 26 June 2002 Issue No. 591 Home news	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

The sky's the limit

Click to view caption

from top: the Mubaraks look at a miniature model of MPC; signing the guest book; and talking to leading media figures

EGYPT celebrated its 19th annual Media Day on Monday, with a gala event that also officially inaugurated the 6 October Media Production City, reports Hanan Sabra. President Hosni Mubarak and Mrs Suzanne Mubarak attended at the head of a large group of dignitaries which included Arab information ministers and leading Egyptian and regional media figures. For three hours, the high profile guests toured the studio complex, talking to the cast and crew of various programmes and drama series. Mubarak also inaugurated the new Broadcast Media Academy, which is attached to MPC and will begin classes in September.

Information Minister Safwat El-Sherif told the crowd that Egypt is now home to the "greatest media city in the Middle East", and boasts a satellite which broadcasts 170 Arab and foreign television channels, as well as 50 radio stations. El-Sherif called MPC "the city of creativity, beauty and magic".

In his address, Ibrahim Nafie, Al-Ahram's chief editor and chairman of the board who also heads both the Arab Journalists' Union and the Egyptian Press Union, said that the challenges posed by the world today need to be addressed "creatively, through open channels and freedom". This, noted Nafie, requires Arab media to "continuously improve by better educating Arab audiences, addressing non-Arab audiences, encouraging competition in this sector, as well as strengthening both freedom of speech and information sharing".

Send a letter to the Editor Recommend this page

Egypt | Region | International | Economy | Opinion | Letters | Culture Special | Features | Living | Heritage | Travel | Sports | Profile | People | Time Out | Chronicles | Cartoons | Crossword

ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise!

WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg

Al-Ahram Organisation