April 15, 2003
Hey, Could You Turn That Down?... Let's take five with Moira Gunn. This is "Five Minutes".
In all the talk about planning for a "new Iraq," I was unaware of the American plan for television and the press. It turns out that the US government now produces and broadcasts five hours of television each day strictly for Iraq. The new television channel, whose Arabic name translates into "Toward Freedom," delivers its signal via military aircraft and offers a Spartan selection of initial programming.
There are subtitled personal messages from President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with constant reassurances that the previous regime is history. But the government is clear that more programming is anticipated: Public service announcements about the availability of humanitarian aid, requests for assistance in finding weapons stores, even the potential for independent programming.
You might consider today's program line-up is a bit like the Marines coming down the road: Expect others to quickly follow.
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Now let's consider the audience. Given their experience, the Iraqi people fully expect there to be a state-run media machine. New state, new media machine. While that figures, we've all gotten to enjoy the wonderful performances of the Iraqi Information Minister. In this context, who knows what the Iraqi people believe television is all about.
The freedoms we enjoy are lifeless when described in words. To be understood, they must be experienced. But even then, each of us knows that one man's information is another's propaganda.
The same goes for newspapers. As the Marines rolled into Baghdad, the US government began pumping out a daily newspaper in southern Iraq with 10,000 copies circulation every day. Again I've to ask: what could the readers be thinking?
Make no mistake - the Iraqis will be getting more than freedom. They will also be getting a full dose of the information society.
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In the 1980's, I actually visited the Bahamas every year, and I remember one year in particular. With the sudden advent of satellite receivers, the Bahamians abruptly got television. Not only that, they got dozens of channels.
It was a shock to experience the transition from a languid Caribbean ambience into a society glutted with unexpected imagery and a loud TV soundtrack. You couldn't go to a restaurant without televisions blaring from every corner. You couldn't pass a Bahamian shack without seeing a huge satellite dish. The feel of the place was not only different, it was disorienting. Even more dramatic for Americans, these satellites brought even more television channels than we could get at home.
For decades now, the Iraqis have had a single fixed public image: Saddam Hussein. They will now be hit by an information glut. It could make the average Iraqi suspect the Tower of Babel had come to life all over again ... but this time it's here to stay.
No doubt, the first order of business is the individual safety of every Iraqi citizen, followed by food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies, et al. But there is also the emotional health of these people whose lives have been racked by abuse. And there is the need to preserve their culture, history and lifestyle.
Recalling the television revolution which overtook the Bahamas in the 1980's, we might also considering offering the Iraqis a little peace and quiet.
I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.
