US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4336

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004336 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA; IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PA/OBS, NEA/PDD, TC 
SUBJECT:  PLACEMENT OF ABU DHABI TV COOP ON "MUSLIMS IN 
AMERICA" ON 9/11 
 
 
  1.   SUMMARY:  POST IS PLEASED TO REPORT THE PLACEMENT OF ABU 
     DHABI TELEVISION COOPERATION, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED IN COORDINATIO 
     AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF 
     BROADCAST SUPPORT (PA/OBS/BS) AND THE FPC IN 2003.  THE PROGRAM 
     TOOK A LONGER PERIOD THAN EXPECTED DUE A CHANGE IN PERSONNEL AT 
     THE STATION, AS WELL AS THE TV ADMINISTRATION'S DESIRE TO AIR IT 
     ON A SPECIFIC DATE.  IT WAS AIRED DELIBERATELY IN PRIME TIME 
     (1600 GMT) ON 9/11, PRIOR TO THE MAIN EVENING NEWSCAST.  END 
     SUMMARY. 
 
  2.   POST IS PLEASED TO REPORT THAT ABU DHABI TELEVISION PLACED 
     THE 45-MINUTE TV COOPERATION PROGRAM ON 9/11/04.  IT WAS AIRED A 
     1600 GM) ON 9/11, PRIOR TO THE MAIN EVENING NEWSCAST, WHICH IS 
     VERY WIDELY WATCHED.  THE GENERAL TONE OF THE PROGRAM WAS VERY 
     POSITIVE AND ALLOWED ARABS AND MUSLIMS INTERVIEWED BY THE ABU 
     DHABI TV REPORTER TO SPEAK FREELY AND VOICE SOME OF THEIR 
     CONCERNS.   ABU DHABI TELEVISION IS ONE OF THE FIVE MOST WIDELY 
     WATCHED SATELLITE CHANNELS BY ARABS WORLDWIDE.  THEIR 
     TRANSMISSION CAN BE ACCESSED ALL OVER THE WORLD. 
 
  3.   TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE BROADCAST DATE, THE STATION DIRECTOR 
     CONTACTED THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION TO INFORM US THAT THEY HAD 
     DECIDED TO AIR THE COOP PROGRAM ON 9/11, IN ORDER HIGHLIGHT ARAB 
     AND MUSLIMS THAT ARE LEADING NORMAL AND SAFE LIVES IN THE U.S. 
     THERE WAS ALSO THE INTENT TO PRESENT A PERSPECTIVE CONTRARY TO 
     NUMEROUS REPORTS IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM MEDIA CLAIMING THAT ARAB 
     AND MUSLIMS ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THE U.S. AS A RESULT OF 
     9/11. 
 
  4.   THE PROGRAM CONTROLLER OF THE STATION ADVISED POST THAT"THE 
      GENERAL REACTION TO THE PROGRAM WAS VERY POSITIVE.  IT HELPED T 
      REFUTE DEEP-ROOTED STEREOTYPES IN ARAB AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES 
      THAT MUSLIMS HAVE BEEN HARASSED IN THE UNITED STATES BY BOTH TH 
      AMERICAN PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT." PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM, AND IN 
      ORDER TO ENHANCE VIEWERSHIP, THE STATION PLACED SEVERAL SPOTS 
      ENTITLED "HOW DO MUSLIMS LIVE IN THE U.S. AFTER 9/11?" 
 
  5.   POST APPRECIATES THE EFFORTS OF PA/OBS/BS AND THE EDITOR LEE 
      LEDRER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PROJECT.  POST IS POUCHING A BETA CAM 
      COPY OF THE PROGRAM TO THE ATTENTION OF PA/OBS/BS (GEORGE 
      SANTULLI) AT THE FPC. 
 
  SISON