Saudi Arabia models State Media Restructure after CNN International

Saudi Arabia approves state media restructure
04 September, 2012 – By Al Arabiya

The Saudi government approved Monday the restructuring for state media, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Under the restructuring, a new government body called the General Authority for Audio and Visual Media will be created to regulate, develop and supervise media content according to the state’s media policy.

SPA said the authority will be an independent body in terms of finance and administration and that it would have an independent annual budget. However, the new authority will be under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Culture and Information.

“The authority will be the responsible agency for the transmission of audio and visual media and its content,” Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja told the state news agency.

The Authority will also be responsible for issuing permits for media activities in the country, as well as supervising service providers and content creation. Other responsibilities of the Authority include receiving complaints and investigating them in media matters.

The board of the new Authority will be chaired by the Minister of Culture and Information and will include its president, the governor of Telecommunication and Information Technology Commission, representatives of government departments and two experts appointed by the Council of Ministers. …source