Tuesday, October 25, 2005

The most secular Arab TV: Without a doubt, the most secular Arab TV is New TV. The station was initially owned by Lebanese Communist Party, and was then sold to Lebanese anti-Hariri businessman Tahsin Khayyat, who kept many of the communist staff. And the staff represents all the constituent sects of Lebanon, unlike LBC-TV which is notorious for only hiring Christians. When I saw Anwar Yasin in Lebanon this summer, I asked him where he was working. "New TV" he said. They do not show any religious ceremonies. I like that. But...they have a very annoying New Agy woman called Maryam Nur, who spends hours preaching New Agy stuff which is comparable to kooky religious rituals.