BBG PRESS RELEASE
Governor Meehan Surveys Egyptian Media Scene
DECEMBER 5, 2013
Cairo, Egypt – BBG Governor Michael Meehan, whose work on the agency’s board during the past three years has included leadership on Middle East broadcasting initiatives, surveyed the Egyptian media market and supported the launch of the second season of a popular Alhurra Television series during a quick visit to Cairo.
Alhurra’s critically-acclaimed series Rayheen ala Fain? (Where Are We Going?) announced its second season with a press conference on Dec. 4th. Rayheen ala Fain? is a weekly program that follows the lives of six Egyptian men and women as they navigate post-revolution Egypt. Meehan and Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) President Brian Conniff attended the conference along with more than 60 journalists and bloggers, while Executive Producer Fran Mires and Producer Mohamed Hefzy provided insight into the second season.
“This series is an intimate chronicle of Egyptian history in the making,” stated Meehan. “Importantly, the cast includes six individuals from different political and socio-economic backgrounds, which add richness and texture to their real-world experiences.”
Meehan and Conniff also met with Ahmed Abdel Tawab, the general manager of Al Hayat TV, one of the most popular local Egyptian channels. Al Hayat had partnered with Alhurra on a series of debates leading up to the 2012 Egyptian Presidential elections and rebroadcast the 2013 season of Rayheen ala Fain?, extending its reach.
Other consultations included meetings with officials from the U.S. Embassy, a visit to MBN’s Cairo studio and discussion with Alhurra journalists of the local media market and the hurdles they face in covering events in the dynamic environment of Cairo.
“For the past ten years our MBN journalists have grown into a strong, credible source of news and information in Egypt during some intensely challenging times in the Middle East,” Meehan said while meeting the team in Cairo. “I am honored to thank them in person for their service.”