Egyptian Chronicles: The Orbit Crisis : What I have Heard

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Orbit Crisis : What I have Heard

As you know there is currently a huge dispute between the Egyptian media production city and Orbit network over the rent of the network studios in the city and you probably know that due to this crisis popular news talk show “Al Qahira al Youm” has been off the air since the end of Ramadan , the network is re-airing old episodes.

Amr Adeeb

According to sources inside the Orbit network itself , it is not about the money but about Amr Adeeb himself , Amr Adeeb is persona non grata on air. These sources are saying that he has been no longer welcomed on air since last Ramadan , they do not know whether it was his interview with Wafaa El-Kilany or his comments about Al Maghrabi and PHD behind all this.It is worth to mention that at the Kilany’s show Amr was nearly saying poetry in Mubarak !!
I thought I would share with you what I have known despite I am not totally convinced with it as Adeeb is well known regime’s speaker but at the same time I am not convinced that it is about the money only, already the network is not poor nor the Adeebs are poor.
Anyhow Amr Adeeb said that this year would be his last in the media as I remember at Tony Khalifa’s show in Ramadan 2009 and there are rumors that he will leave the channel by the end of the year and move to another one. “Some speculate the new Ahmed Ezz’s Channel”
It is a blow to Orbit network in Egypt because Amr Adib and his show were the main attraction to new subscribers.
Now moving to another thing ,the merger between Showtime and Orbit network which has been effective in the Middle east since last year , it has not been approved in Egypt yet and this is why the new OSN offers are not available in Egypt and do not ask me why the OSN has not been approved because I do not know why.
Back to the Orbit Crisis , I am waiting for the divine presidential intervene to save the day as usual.