AMMAN - The Kingdom's first independent channel, ATV, is scheduled to start its pilot terrestrial and satellite broadcast on December 1, with actual transmission beginning in January of next year, new station owner Talal Awamleh announced on Monday.
Awamleh, CEO of the Arab Telemedia Services, whose company owns 86 per cent of the channel after a deal signed last Thursday, said the channel's broadcast would not be stalled by financial issues.
"We are now preparing for the launch. All financial issues were settled and ATV will operate a news channel, another one for drama and a radio station," Awamleh told The Jordan Times yesterday.
The channel's initial broadcast was halted August 1, 2007 by the Audio Visual Commission for incomplete paperwork. A week later, the launch faced a new hurdle after the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation insisted that an agreement between the two establishments only covered terrestrial transmission.
In 2006, Jordan Television (JTV) leased its Channel Two, a terrestrial channel, to ATV, which now owes the corporation JD2.5 million under this agreement, according to JTV.
According to Awamleh, Mohammad Khalid Asfour, owner of Al Ajayeb for Investments Company, owns 14 per cent of the channel.
Saleh Madi, who heads the ATV employee committee, told reporters yesterday that the open-ended sit-in workers started last week was halted due to Awamleh's pledge to pay the salaries of employees "who were dedicated to working with the channel".
"During the next few weeks, we will pay the salaries of staff who were committed to working at the station," Awamleh said yesterday.
The station owner would not elaborate on the cost of the purchase agreement, referring to the numbers as "secret".
On a possible change of the channel's name, Adnan Awamleh, the board chairman of the channel, said the name will remain the same "initially".
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2008
