Officials from religious media outlets are still hoping to avoid a clash with the government over their legal status.
The fate of the media is still undecided, although there is now only one month before the Sept. 15 deadline set by the Cabinet for the reorganization of the media sector.
But it remains unclear whether religious media must apply for a broadcast license or face closure.
Delays in the resolution of this matter appear to stem from a lack coordination and communication between officials from the religious stations and the government, mainly the Information Ministry.
The Christian-run Tele-Lumiere television station, Sawt al-Mahaba and the Holy Koran Radio station are still operating under an “extraordinary” Cabinet decision taken in 1996.
These stations did not obtain a broadcast license like their non-religious counterparts, but were given oral permission from the Cabinet to broadcast.
However, the Cabinet decided on July 11 to crack down on all illegally-operating stations.
The Cabinet decision said that stations without a broadcast license should apply for one before the September deadline.
But this decision is still “ambiguous,” according to officials from religious media outlets, because it does not say clearly whether it will be applicable to their stations or only non-religious media outlets operating without a broadcast license.
The Christian Media Committee held a meeting Wednesday at the Catholic Information Center in Jal al-Dib to discuss government media decisions.
Beshara Rai, the Maronite bishop of Jbeil and a Tele-Lumiere board member, and other religious officials were present at the meeting.
In a statement issued after the meeting, participants said there was a “contradiction” in the July 11 Cabinet decision.
Father Abdo Abu Kasm, the head of the center, said the Cabinet decision was “ambiguous,” because it included two contradictory positions. The first, he said, confirmed the legality of religious media outlets, while the other stressed the need for these stations to apply for broadcast licenses, just like other stations.
“We still don’t know how the government will deal with us,” Abu Kasm said. “We haven’t yet heard … whether we will be treated as illegal stations, because we don’t have a license, or whether we will not be included under the new decisions.”
Abu Kasm also conveyed Christian officials’ refusal to apply for a license and undermine the previous Cabinet decision that gave the stations authority to broadcast without a license.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi, away for the week, had previously said religious media outlets will be considered separately by the government.
However, he did not say whether they will be exempted from applying for licenses or not. Aridi simply said there will be no clash between these stations and the government, adding that a “way out” will be negotiated.
Participants from the committee’s meeting decided to form a “legal committee” to study recent government media decisions, and expressed their refusal to accept the “canceling of the two Christian stations.”