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General Organization of Radio and TV (Syria)#Television

{{Short description|State-owned broadcaster of Syria}}

{{coord|33|30|44.4|N|36|16|32.2|E|type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Infobox broadcasting network

| network_name = Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne (ORTAS)

| network_logo = General Organization of Radio and TV in Syria.jpeg

| image =

| country = Syria

| headquarters = Umayyad Square, Damascus

| network_type = Broadcast radio, television and online

| available = National

| owner = Government of Syria

| key_people =

| launch_date = {{start date and age|1947|02|03|df=y}} (radio)
{{start date and age|1960|07|23|df=y}} (television)

| founder =

| motto =

| past_names = {{ubl|Radio and Television (RTV Syria)|Syrian Radio & Television (SRT)}}

| website = {{URL|http://ortas.online}}

}}

The General Organization of Radio and TV ({{langx|ar|الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون}}), also known in French as Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne (in short ORTAS), is the public broadcaster in Syria and reports to the Ministry of Information. Earlier names were Radio and Television (RTV Syria) and Syrian Radio & Television (SRT).{{cite web |url=http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/ |title=Syria-media profile |author=European Neighborhood Journalism Network |date=n.d. |agency=European Neighborhood Journalism Network |access-date=30 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009035310/http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/ |archive-date=9 October 2012 |url-status=dead }} For much of its existence, ORTAS was the Assad regime's propaganda tool until it was taken over by opposition groups in December 2024 amidst the fall of Damascus.{{Cite web |title=General Organization of Radio and TV - Syria |url=http://en.ortas.online/index.php?d=100455 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=en.ortas.online}}

The legal basis is a legislative decree from 2010, which, however, was largely not implemented. Sūmar Wassūf became head of the commission in December 2018.

Several television channels and radio stations are being run by this organization, including Syria TV and Damascus Radio. ORTAS is an active member of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU){{cite web|url=https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=associate|title=EBU Associate Members|website=ebu.ch|publisher=EBU|access-date=9 June 2015}} and formerly a member of International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT).

Services

The General Authority for Radio and Television is the governmental body responsible for radio and television broadcasting in Syria. It is divided into two parts:

=Radio=

{{See also|List of radio stations in Syria}}

Radio broadcasting began in the First Syrian Republic upon its independence on 17 April 1946 on shortwave. As early as 1942, Radio Damas, a counterpart to Radio Levant in Beirut, Lebanon existed in the French League of Nations mandate.

Nationwide radio programs include:

  • دمشق, Iḏāʿa Dimašq – Radio Damascus (since 1947)
  • صوت الشباب, Ṣaut aš-Šabāb – "voice of youth" (since 2002)
  • سوريان, Sūryānā (since 2015)

Former radio station:

  • صوت الشعب, Ṣaut aš-Šaʿb – "voice of the people" (1979–2017)

Regional radio programs are (from north to south):

The international broadcaster Radio Damascus has existed since 1957. According to the frequency announcements in the program, both FM (VHF) and AM (medium wave) are broadcast.

=Television=

{{Further|Television in Syria}}

The television station is based in Damascus, Syria since July 1960.{{cite news|url=http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=74083|author=Mariam Ghorbannejad|title=Broadcast media: Open to new players?|magazine=Forward Syria|date=February 12, 2011|access-date=April 17, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706131944/http://www.forwardsyria.com/story/400/Broadcast%20media:%20Open%20to%20new%20players|archive-date=July 6, 2011|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1977-TV-Factbook/1977-TV-Factbook.pdf|title=Television Factbook|date=1977|accessdate=31 March 2021|page=1109}} The channel airs programmes in Arabic, English and French.{{cite web|url=http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/|title=Syria-media profile|author=European Neighborhood Journalism Network|date=n.d.|agency=European Neighborhood Journalism Network|access-date=30 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009035310/http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/|archive-date=9 October 2012|url-status=dead}} Its first channel was broadcasting in black and white until 1978. A second channel was added in 1985 (discontinued in 2012 due to the civil war) and in 1996, the satellite service Syria TV began broadcasting. On September 5, 2012, Syrian Television channel broadcasts were broken off on Arabsat and Nilesat, including Syria TV. Syria TV and Syrian Drama TV broadcasts were stopped on Hot Bird on October 22, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://sana.sy/eng/21/2012/10/22/448494.htm|title=Hotbird Suspends Broadcasting Syrian Satellite Channels.. Journalists' Union condemns Step|agency=SANA|date=October 22, 2012|access-date=April 17, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110104305/http://sana.sy/eng/21/2012/10/22/448494.htm|archive-date=November 10, 2013|df=mdy-all}}

The digital television switchover (DVB-T) in Syria has been restarted since mid-2018, in the provinces of Damascus, Daraa, As Suwayda, Rif Dimashq, Tartus, Latakia, Quneitra and Hama, however there is still no date for an analog switch off.

ORTAS national and satellite television channels:

  • Syria TV (since 1995), also known as Syrian Satellite Channel, distributed through digital terrestrial television (DTT)
  • Syrian Local Channel (since 2022), distributed through (DTT)
  • Noor Al-Sham (religion; since 2011) – The channel intends "to convey a broad and genuine understanding of Islam and its legal rules", according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).{{cite web|url=http://syria-today.com/index.php/component/content/article/952-life/17960-in-lieu-of-worshipping|title=In Lieu of Worshipping|work=Syria Today|date=6 September 2012|accessdate=23 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715195830/http://syria-today.com/index.php/component/content/article/952-life/17960-in-lieu-of-worshipping|archive-date=15 July 2012|url-status=dead}}
  • Syrian Drama TV (since 2009){{cite news|title=آخر تحديثات" ضبط تردد سوريا دراما لمتابعة المسلسلات الحديثة 2021|url=https://www.klma.org/tech/%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%AF-%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-2019-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7|website= www.klma.org|access-date= 1 November 2021}}
  • Syrian Education TV (since 2008)
  • Syrian News Channel, also known as Alikhbaria Syria or Al-Ikhbariyah Syria (since 2010), distributed through DTT
  • Drama 24, distributed through DTT
  • Sports TV, distributed through DTT
  • Sakaker Kids TV, distributed through DTT
  • Syriana TV Radio and TV
  • {{ill|Ugarit TV|ar|أوغاريت اللاذقية}} (since 2014) – a regional channel from Latakia;{{Cite web|url=https://syrianobserver.com/news/33809/ugarit_tv_karameh_radio_begin_broadcasting_in_latakia_sweida.html|title=Ugarit TV, Karameh Radio Begin Broadcasting in Latakia, Sweida|first=T.|last=S|date=January 3, 2014|access-date=18 November 2022}} Latakia Radio and Television Center was established in 1987 for the hosting of the 1987 Mediterranean Games

Former channels include Syrian Medical TV and Talaqie TV which both closed in 2016; terrestrial channels Channel 2 and Channel 1 (now Syrian local channel) closed down in 2012.

The Syria Insider Weekly program is broadcast in English, French and Spanish.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://ortas.online}} {{in lang|ar}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20031212003551/http://www.rtv.gov.sy/ www.rtv.gov.sy] (former homepage, archived in 2003)

{{Syria topics}}

{{Television in Syria}}

{{European Broadcasting Union Members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:General Organization of Radio and TV}}

Category:1960 establishments in Syria

Category:Mass media companies established in 1960

Category:Mass media companies of Syria

Category:Mass media in Damascus

Category:State media

Category:Radio in Syria

Category:Television companies of Syria

Category:Government-owned companies of Syria

Category:Multilingual broadcasters

Category:Arabic-language radio stations

Category:Arabic-language television stations

Category:European Broadcasting Union members