Tele-Liban
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| Type | Terrestrial & satellite television network |
|---|---|
| Country | Lebanon |
| Availability |
Lebanon Arab World European Union Australia Canada United States |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Owner | Lebanese Public (Governmental corporation) |
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Official website
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Official website |
Télé Liban (TL) (Arabic: تلفزيون لبنان) is the first Lebanese public television network, owned by the Lebanese government. TL is the current Lebanese member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The Lebanese government granted businessmen Wissam Izzeddine and Alex Moufarrej the first local television license in August 1956, and Compagnie libanaise de Télévision-CLT, which would later be changed to Télé Liban, aired programs for the first time on May 28, 1959, making it the first TV station not only in Lebanon but also in the region. The station was officially launched by General Sleiman Nawfal with the aid of France. The station remained Lebanon's only television station until Télé-Orient obtained its own license in July 1961 and began operating from Hazmieh.
Throughout the 1960s and until the 1970s, Télé Liban provided local, original programming as well as imports from France and the United States. What made Télé Liban unique in the region was its creation of innovative content for a pluralistic country like Lebanon.
During the war, the two private television stations had been taken over by militias, and the newly elected president, Elias Sarkis wanted a unified media outlet to promote his agenda of peace and unity. The two privately owned stations, CLT and Télé Orient, and their subsidiaries agreed to merge in a deal where half the shares were owned by the Lebanese government . The Legislative Decree No. 100 was published in the national gazette on July 7, 1977, making the merger official
When the civil war ended, Télé Liban's monopoly was removed under the 1994 Audiovisual Media Law, and the station found itself for the first time facing tremendous competition. Other television stations with more innovative programming, such as the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, overtook Télé Liban's audience in the 1990s.
Rafic Hariri bought the private sector shares of Télé Liban months before he became prime minister in 1992 and appointed Fouad Naïm as chairman, who quickly revamped the station. However, the government bought back all the shares from the private sector in 1994.
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Wikipedia