Manama: Bahrain has suspended the operations of the newly-launched Manama-based Al Arab Channel, saying that it had not secured licensing approval.

“The Information Affairs Authority (IAA) announces the suspension of Al Arab satellite channel following its failure to obtain the required licensing approval to commence broadcasting in Bahrain,” the statement issued on Monday afternoon said.

“The IAA emphasises that the channel had also failed to match the standards of regional and international practice agreements, to take account of efforts aimed at stemming the tide of extremism and terrorism throughout the region and the wider world.”

The IAA said that the channel’s non-compliance had been reported to the Higher Authority of Media and Communications and that the Cabinet decided to suspend the channel.

“The decision has no impact upon principles of media freedom and it is strictly based on the government’s commitment to ensuring the diversity and impartiality of media outlets in the kingdom. The IAA highlights its commitment to ensuring that all media institutions operate firmly within Bahrain’s rules and regulations, which are designed to protect the interests and views of all,” the statement said.

The IAA added that it “continues to cooperate with private institutions based in the kingdom to ensure their compliance with Bahrain’s rules and regulations, and recognises their important role in further enhancing the media and communications sector including creating more job opportunities, a key priority under the kingdom’s programme of sustainable economic development.”

Al Arab, the latest pan-Arab television news channel, went off air hours after taking to the airwaves on February 1.

The channel, owned by Kingdom Holding Co Chairman Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, started broadcasting from Bahrain at 4pm, amid pledges that it would be an outstanding addition to the news television landscape in the Arab world.

However, hours after its launch, the channel stopped its regular programmes and beamed a loop of self-promotion highlights and features to be broadcast.

“The broadcasting has stopped for technical and administrative reasons and we will resume soon, God willing,” a news ticker on the screen said.

No other explanation was provided by the channel headed by Saudi journalist, columnist and editor Jamal Khashoggi.

The station in its first news bulletin conducted a studio interview with Khalil Marzouq, a leader of Al Wefaq Islamic Society, over the revocation of the nationality of 72 people in Bahrain announced by the interior ministry one day earlier.

The interview prompted Anwar Abdul Rahman, the editor-in-chief of Bahrain’s oldest circulating newspaper Akhbar Al Khaleej, to write a front-page editorial on Monday in which he accused the channel of unfairness.

“I was astonished that the channel in its first news bulletin hosted Khalil Marzouq to hear his view on the revocation of the Bahraini nationality of 72 people for harming the interests of Bahrain,” Anwar wrote. “The question, from a professional and objectivity point of view, is why Khalil Marzouq only? There are other political societies in Bahrain that have their own political stances and positions. The channel could have also hosted neutral Bahraini or Gulf political analysts to give their own views, especially that those who were stripped of their nationality were not only from Al Wefaq and belonged to various Islamic sects,” he said.

Anwar added that Al Arab’s attitude raised several questions about the orientations of the channel.

“Our advice to you is that you rise to the responsibility on the Arab issues. This is our advice to you if you are truly Arabs in your thought, culture, sensibility and commitment in your media messages,” he wrote. “Resorting to muscle flexing and allegations in the name of freedom of speech or free broadcasting will harm you in the eyes of Arab spectators faster than you can imagine. More than that, it could signal that your failure began when you were born.”