Why did they close Arabic “Here London”?

Tawfiq Abu Shomar 17 October 2022

Why did they close Arabic “Here London”, after eighty-four years of its launch? Is it because of a financial crisis, as the radio said? Or because of changing its first route which is based on “Broadcasting all that is best in the field of human knowledge, while maintaining morality, impartiality and transparency in all world issues.”

John Reith, founder of Arabic “Here London”

The BBC founder John Reith, who died in 1971, refused government support and kept the radio’s source of income from taxes on the sale of radio and television sets and from its programs marketing funds.

John Reith was a loyal British citizen. In 1940, he was appointed Minister of Information in Chamberlain’s government. (modafinil pharmacology) He suspended the work of the radio from 1939 to 1946 and limited its broadcasting to one issue: “Preserving the unity of the nation and raising the morale of the British people”. He even broadcasted Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle’s speeches to strengthen the home front of the Allies, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Britain Prize.

The previous facts were only a prelude to the beginning of BBC Arabic broadcasting in 1938. This radio attracted the great Arab poets and broadcasters, and was able to collect the Arab cultural and artistic heritage and reassemble it into interesting program packages. It also attracted all Arabs, and the goal was to leave their official dictatorial media and believe only in BBC Arabic radio!

Its beautiful Arabic programs were delicious and successful bait for catching Arabs and entrapping them. This media was strengthening Britain and improving its reputation and making the Arabs forget about colonial Britain, and Britain that fought the worst wars against China and India in the mid-nineteenth century. The Arabs have forgotten all of this and started adjusting their watches according to Big Ben, the clock of Great Britain, the guardian of democracy and the protector of freedom!!

The real reason behind the closure of BBC Arabic radio

Why then did the BBC shut down its audio broadcasts in ten languages, including Arabic?! The real reason has passed without provoking many people. The financial deficit was not the main reason, but it was: “Transforming this radio into the form of interactive digital broadcast”! What does interactive broadcast mean?!

Yes, the British radio no longer needs to attract the sons of Yarub bin Qahtan by educating them, raising their awareness and reviving their artistic passions in the tone of the voices of the novelist Tayeb Salih, the writer Hassan Karmi, and the media professionals, Majid Sarhan, Sami Haddad, Jamil Azer, Madiha Al-Madfai and others.

Today, it has given up this role to lead the Arabs again at the lowest price: “Interactive Broadcast,” which means collecting Arab opinions on all issues and marketing them, then mobilizing listeners to revolt and rebel against their miserable Arab political, economic, and social reality!

In the interactive broadcast, only one broadcaster is enough to gather the gossip of the Arabs, and then lead them towards the planned idea. The radio’s closure was a revolution in the goals of the third millennium media and the abolition of the true media message which is education and mental awareness. Today, the goal has become to transform the media message into emotional excitement in order to spread discord, rebellion and revolution!

So, it is not surprising that “Here London” radio revealed its main goal, which is to transform the media from expensive educational and awareness tools to low-cost means that lead and direct listeners and viewers towards the desired and planned goal!

Finally, why did the Arabs not implement interactive broadcast as the BBC did?!

The answer: Because it embarrasses the ruling authorities and increases resentment against them. So, instead of interactive broadcast, the Arabs invented gossip programs and rhetorical cockfights that cause depression and frustration, and that end with insults, treason, imprisonment and deportation!