Cablegate: Request for Assistance to Improve Bahrain Satellite

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000446

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PI AROMANOWSKI, NEA/ARPI DBERNS, R,
NEA/PPD MQUINN AND CWHITTLESEY, IIP/G/NEA

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP PREL KPAO KMPI BA
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE BAHRAIN SATELLITE
TELEVISION AND RADIO

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

1. This is an action paragraph, please see para 6.

2. (SBU) Summary: Bahrain's new Minister of Information
and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Muhammad Abdul
Ghaffar, has requested assistance from MEPI to improve
Bahrain satellite television and radio. The Ambassador and
NEA/PI Director Alina Romanowski met with the Minister March
9 to discuss the range of possible assistance from MEPI.
Dr. Abdul Ghaffar requested MEPI funding for a needs
assessment for Bahrain television and radio, a strategic
plan, and three long term on-site consultants to implement
the strategic plan for up to two years.

3. (SBU) The Ambassador, NEA/PI Director Alina Romanowski,
and PAO met with Minister of Information and Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar
Wednesday, March 9, 2005, to discuss the Minister's request
for assistance from MEPI for the Bahrain Radio and
Television Corporation, which is owned and operated by the
GOB. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar, who was appointed Minister of
Information in January, 2005, stated that one of his top
priorities as Minister of Information is to "reinvent"
Bahrain Satellite television and radio from scratch, using
U.S. expertise. Referring to widespread public criticism
that Bahrain television is out of date and not worth
watching, the Minister stated several times that he was
under real time pressure to reform Bahrain's broadcast
media. He stated, "I have a window of opportunity here and
if I don't act fast, we will lose momentum for change."
(Comment: A reinvigorated Bahrain satellite channel could
potentially win Bahraini viewers back from the more
currently viewed Al Manar and Al Jazeera satellite stations.
Bahrain Satellite Television can be viewed from Morocco to
the Gulf on Arabsat and Nilesat.)

4. (SBU) The Minister requested MEPI support for the
following:

A. A needs assessment on the current state of Bahrain TV
and radio. The Ministry has already contracted with the
Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to rebuild the
newsroom's physical and human resources infrastructure, and
this project is near completion. The needs assessment
requested by the Minister would assess the management of all
elements of Bahrain TV and radio including the news, family
programming, religious programming, entertainment, public
information programs, and talk shows.

B. Development of a detailed strategic plan on how to
improve Bahrain TV and radio, including recommendations on
restructuring the organization and top and middle
management, standardizing human resources management,
identifying and implementing staffing objectives, and
developing and implementing a plan for meeting current and
ongoing training needs.

C. Assistance to identify and fund three long-term
consultants: 1) a media expert who would work in tandem with
the Director of Bahrain TV and radio as a senior advisor for
up to two years; 2) an expert on media/broadcast training
who would build from scratch a training office at Bahrain
TV/Radio; and 3) an expert on producing and directing
original programming for Bahrain TV. The Minister requested
that the senior advisor be equipped to oversee all Bahrain
TV and radio programming from news programs to talk shows
and entertainment.

5. (SBU) NEA/PI Director Romanowski advised the Minister
that MEPI would review his request and may be able to assist
with the needs assessment phase of the project. She added
that a request for proposals might need to be issued to
identify an appropriate implementer, and that this process
would take some time. Romanowski drew the Minister's
attention to the fact that MEPI had already funded several
media-related projects in Bahrain including Internews
training for print journalists, the University of
Bahrain/DePaul University linkage in Mass Communications in
2003, and a MEPI small grant for equipment and training for
the University of Bahrain student radio station. Romanowski
also pointed out the importance of building up an indigenous
capability to support strong and qualified media experts and
ensure that the Ministry of Information integrates these new
initiatives in their long term strategic planning.

6. (SBU) Action request for NEA/PI: Post seeks follow-up
to the Romanowski visit with the Minister of Information.
Please advise the next steps in responding to the Minister's
request.
7. This cable has been cleared by Ms. Romanowski.
Monroe

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