Alhurra is a 24/7 television station, broadcasting via satellite on the Arabsat and Nilesat transmission frequencies. 3 The Arabic language broadcast originates in Springfield, Virginia, and transmits to 22 Arab Nations. 2
Alhurra is run by a non-profit corporation called the Middle East Television Network, Inc. (MTN) but is financed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), 1 the same U.S. government board "which oversees American government and government-sponsored international broadcasting services"5 such as the radio shows Voice of America and Radio Sawa. 2 The tax monies spent on Alhurra by the BBG to date are $62,000,000. 2
The first broadcast aired 2/14/04 and featured, among other things, a show about Valentine's Day. 4
Alhurra’s Prime Time TV Schedule for the day this write up posted was: 1
"The World Today" - News Hour
"Free Hour" - Talk Show
"The World Now" - News Update
"magazine" - News Features
"The World Now" - News Update
"Bravo Profiles: Drew Barrymore" -
Documentary
"The Global" - News Hour
The meaning of Alhurra is “The Free One”. 1 but it certainly isn't free in terms of money spent or control exercised. The US Government is the sole financial support. Neither Congress nor the BBG exercise direct control over the programming of Alhurra but MTN executives are human and value their position. They surely give some consideration to this fact.
1 http://www.alhurra.com/
2 http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1658915
3 http://www.yellowtimes.org/article.php?sid=1779
4 http://why-war.com/news/2004/02/19/offtarge.html
5 http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/21/television/
6
http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1394868.html