Egypt had known arts of communication and information since early times through simple and primitive means. Over time, those means had evolved until Egypt become the first country in its vicinity to know information in its modern forms and means.

 

Egypt was the first country to know the press then radio and television service. It was also the first country to establish an information organization in 1954 (Department of Information) and a national news agency (The Middle East News Agency) in 1956. With the outbreak of 23 July Revolution 1952, the importance and key role of media emerged. The first ministry in charge of media affairs in Egypt's history was set up in November 1952.

 

It was called the Ministry of Culture and National Guidance Later on its name changed to Ministry of Culture and National Guidance.. Once again, it regained its earlier name which so remained until 1970. With the several changes taking place in the following period, both the information and culture sectors were merged until a separate information state ministry was set up by virtue of The Republican Decree No. 43 of 1982.

 

Since early the 1980s, the Egyptian information entered into its gold age as the information march scored a lot of success on the technical and technological levels. That led to a great information takeoff.

 

Egypt has possessed a strong media infrastructure, well qualified to address contemporary issues. In a democratic and free environment, it has communicated with and opened to the world. 

  

Egypt was the first Arab country introducing press.

The first official Egyptian Gazette “al-Waqa'e al-Misrya” was issued in 1828.

Then, the first popular newspaper (Wadi al-Neel) was issued in 1867.

Gradually, different newspapers emerged, standing as a feedback of the country's prevailing political, social, economic and cultural status in every era of Egypt's history.

Within a new framework of freedom and democrary in Egypt, press undertakes its national mission expressing the opinion and opposing one.

 

The first legislation for publications was issued on January 14,1799.

On May 24, 1960, Law No. 151 of 1964 was issued pertaining to press establishments.

In 1980, Law No. 148 of 1980 was issued stipulating that the Egyptian press is an independent popular authority that exercises its mission in full freedom in the service of the society.

 

Evolving from exclusively public ownership, there emerged new forms of press: partisan and independent.

 

The Constitution has given high prominence to the press within an environment of democracy, pluralism and freedom of opinion and expression.

In 1996, Law No. 96 of 1996 was issued on the organization of the press.

On March 26, 1998, the Journalist Code of Ethics was approved by the Supreme Council of Press.

 

Under this climate, the newspapers number increased and their specialities and trends varied. The number of newspapers hits now 500.

As a result, the number of professional journalists enrolled in the Syndicate of Journalists has reached 4659 and 589 trainees.

 

Since its official inauguration on May 31, 1934, the Egyptian broadcasting service has played a major role in education and raising public awareness and ensuring communication with the Arab nation.

 

- The Egyptian broadcasting service has manged to document most events, thus providing historical annals and a rare collection of documents that stand witness to this age.

- The broadcasting sector groups 9 main networks.

- Total transmission hours of all broadcasting services in 2004/05 hit 189,550 hours with 54 hours per day.

 - Egyptian radio transmission stations rose to 258 with a total capacity of 13782 kw.

- Egyptian radio networks transmission is relayed to Europe, US and Asia through the “Nilesat” and Eutelsat” in addition to the overseas services addressed in 38 languages to all parts of the world.

- New overseas services in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese were initiated.

 

- New overseas services in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese were initiated.

- A New FM service was introduced in al-Arish to transmit the Hebrew Programme “Kol Kahir” addressed to the Isreali people to post them on the just Palestinian cause.

- New eight FM thematic services addressed to Cairo, Alexandria and Hurghada were initiated, in addition to two commercial services jointly set up by the Radio & Television Union and C.N.E.   

 

The Egyptian television, launched on July 21,1960, has been a witness to varied and successive events throughout its history. The television occupies a distinguished position among media and poses as an essential pillar of the Egyptian information system and a showcase for Egyptian and Arab arts.

Within the new environment of information and communication technology, the television is now capable of addressing challenges of globalization and open skies.

 

* Channels 1 is the main one whose transmission covers nationwide

* Channel 2 is primarily a cultural and entertainment one and works as a link of knowledge.

 

Six regional channels provide specialized media services in the areas of development and local environment. These channels cover all the Egyptian governorates.

* Channel lll (Greater Cairo)

* Channels lV (Suez Canal cities)

* Channel V (Alexandria)

* Channel Vl (Central Delta)

* Channel Vll (North Upper Egypt)

* Channel Vlll (South Upper Egypt)

 

ESC I reflects to the world Egypt's civilization and culture. Its coverage includes all Arab countries, most African, European and Asian. It operates 24 hours a day.

This channel's transmission has been working since January 2002 according to the US north coast's time with the aim to posting US on Egypt's views towards different issues.

The Nile TV International is the international channel, transmitting 20 hours a day in both English and French for local and foreign viewers at home. Its overseas transmission covers all Arab countries, Middle East, half of North Africa, USA and all European countries. It also started to transmit programmes in Hebrew in January 2002.

 

* News.

* Drama.

* Cultural.

* Sports.

* Text

* Family and Child.

* Variety.

* Manara (lighthouse) (Scientific Research).

* Higher Education.

* Al-Tanweer (enlightenment)

Since August 2005, transmission of the thematic channels were launched undecoded as television sets can screen it without using dishes. 

Both satellites (Nilesat 101 and Nilesat 102) are a civilized and technological leap in the age of satellites. They are an outcome of a long and sustainable efforts since late 1960s and early 1970s when Egypt advocated the idea of launching a satellite to provide direct radio and television transmission. Necessary phased-studies were made for the project until President Hosni Mubarak signed in May 1995 a document for manufacturing and launching Egypt's first satellite (Nilesat). The first satellite was launched in 1998 and the second one in 2000.

Both satellites (Nilesat 101 and Nilesat 102) offer valuable national services for Egypt. They provide information communication to all areas from North Sinai to Toshka in south Egypt, in addition to back up media service to terrestrial networks.

- Supporting the state's comprehensive development plan through providing channel that transmit educational and cultural programmes.

- The Nilesat is an efficient tool to face the flowing intellectual, cultural and media product. It can play a good alternative role expressing the Egyptian society, presenting the Egyptian civilization image within observance of the country's identity and idiosyncracy and interacting with other cultures.

 

  Both satellites have on board 24 satellite channels transmitting 180 satellite TV channels and 800 Egyptian, Arab and international broadcasting stations. Until mid 2005, about 262 Egyptian, Arab and international TV channels were leased including view channels, three channels for real estate marketing, 14 song channels not mention radio and internet channels used by millions of viewers.

 

In February 2002, the Nilesat launched its interactive transmission service, together with the “home movie” or “TV on demand”, allowing direct viewer-satellite interaction. This service, offered for the first time in the Middle East, is provided via the Nilesat through 10 new satellite channels in conjunction with Showtime.

The Nilesat won the sertificate of the best satellite channel on the regional level in 2004.

 

In the age of communications, information, satellites and open skies and the necessity of providing it with a good media production in terms of quantity and quality, the idea of setting up a media production city emerged.

In June 2002, President Mubarak declared the completion of the MPC and the inauguration of the Mubarak International Complex. Thus, all media projects in the MPC were completed, providing a tangible leap for Egyptian media in particular, and for Arabs in general. This will open the road for MPC to become actually “the Hollywood of the Orient” and the biggest drama production edifice in the Middle East.

 

The MPC covers an area of about 3 million m2, comprising the 29-studios complexes (A,B,C,), open-air shooting locations of all settings; Pharaonic, rural, Islamic or Bedouin, coastal and forest as well as the Magic Land, Garden city district, Al-Azbakia park, Mediamen sports club and the Media Free Zone and the regional offices of international satellite companies.

 

A decree was issued in 2000 to set up a free media zone for the art and media production activities.

The Zone is the biggest of its kind in the Middle East and the venue of the international satellit companies in a way that makes Egypt an investment hub for media production and transmission.

 

- The Egyptian Company for Media Production City

- The Egyptian Company for Nilesat

- CNE

- NCN

- Egyptian Thematic Channels Company.  

In an age where value of information is maximized, and within the world's current developments, SIS managed to fulfill its serious information mission, interacting with all issues locally, regionally and internationally, using the state-of-the-art-technologies to take off to communication and information technology.

Since its establishment 50 years ago, SIS has played several roles for being the stat's public relations agency, political and media studies centre, data bank and a major publishing cultural house that issues about two million information materials every year.

 

Launching of SIS website in 1996 was indeed a huge leap in kind of its performance. The distinguished site provides a comprehensive panorama of Egypt's history, civilization and culture in addition to its latest achievements. In addition, the site presents comprehensive biographies of Egypt's top figures including politicians, intellectuals and scientists, all fully documented in facts and figures.

 

- In October 2000, this site was chosen by the UNESCO as one of the best cultural sites all over the world. As a proof of its credibility, USA, Germany and Japan demanded that many of its sites be linked directly to SIS website to benefit from its various information resources.

- The SIS web site was launched on Nilesat in a way its services become ultra-speed known as the Terbo Internet System.

- The site contains 43 pages, 75091 bits and 55700 images. The site has on board 1642 hours of audio tapes and 1702 hours of video tapes.

- The site's visitors numbered 39,532200 million until August 2005.

- The site relays transmission of the Public Programme Network and Songs Programme around – the o'clock. It also relays transmission of Nile TV International and Nile News Channel for 12 hours a day.

 

Through this network, SIS has started hooking its local information centers and its overseas offices to its headquarters in Naser City, Cairo, thus allowing free and heavy flow of information. In addition, the video conference technology allows participation in symposia and seminars.

This service was initiated in 28 local centres as well as in 4 overseas offices in Washington, Paris, Berlin and London. This technology is a modern tool of the local administration to deepen decentralization trends in a way that makes the information complexes a rostrum for open dialogue.

 

These clubs undertake spreading of awarness of technology of information and communications among Egypt's young men to providing them with skills of dealing with computers according to needs of labour market and developments future.

About 30 clubs were developments set up in the information complexes and centres nationwide. In 2004/05, they held 860 training courses for 6525 trainees mostly youngmen and university graduates.

 

This sector stands as an information, research an publishing centre besides its work as a centre for political and strategic studies. The sector plays a key role in providing and flowing of information through modern tools as it stored and retrieved information through internet and intranet.

 

These information are released in the form of programmes and publications serials of researches and international future and contemporary studies. The sector also issues the Egyptian media report launched in 2004 which tackles Egypt's image in the world especially in the major countries, the world's image in Egypt and Egypt's image of herself.

 

The local information centres'  mission is based on some pivots mainly the major local issues.

The local Information sector plays a vital role in development-related information. It provides the most important means of direct mass communication all over Egypt's governorates. It operates through 65 local information complexes and centres spreading in all governorates, including 27 modern complexes, 29 Nile Information, Education and Communication centres, 44 child clubs, 50 listening and viewing clubs, 26 family planning centres, 65 public opinion units, 30 technology clubs, 42 friends of the environment clubs. The sector has scored a tangible progress as the number of symposia, lectures, courses and seminars held in 2004/05 hit 9758. Total number of beneficiaries amounted to 798036. Total number of public opinion reports drawn up by the information complexes and centres on floated issues hit 9666.

 

SIS Foreign Information Sector represents the foreign component of Egypt's media function. The sector supervises 32 overseas information offices that monitor media feedback on significant domestic and foreign media. There are 9 offices in Europe, 4 in North America , 3 in Africa, 11 in the Arab world and one in Isreal.

They have been hooked to the Internet. These offices especially in Washington, London and Paris have also been hooked to SIS headquarters through a video conference network in 2004.

 

The press centre for foreign correspondents and reporters renders several services to facilitate their jobs. Some permanent and temporary press centres are set up to cover conferences and occasions inside or outside Egypt.

 

The press centre played an effective role in coverage of the Egyptian presidential elections held in 2005 through providing facilities and information to the correspondents and reporters whether the residents in Egypt or visiting ones to cover that major event. Number of the resident correspondents hit 932 and the visiting ones who represent foreign media hit 1350.

 

- MENA, established in 1956, was the first regional news agency in the Middle East to cover this vital part of the world. It is now one of the most powerful news agencies. It is rated 11^th among international news agencies according to the UNESCO's report.

- Operating 24 hours a day, MENA transmits some 250,000 words/day in Arabic, English and French. Its news services cover most parts of the world.

- MENA has at present a wide network of correspondents in some Arab and world totaling 40 offices and correspondents capitals. Besides, the agency covers all Egypt's governorates through a domestic network of offices and correspondents.

- MENA exchanges news and photographs with 25 Arab and foreign news agencies. It contributes to enhancing cooperation between Arab and African countries.

 

- MENA issues several bulletins in English, most important of which is the daily Cairo Press Review (CPR), the biweekly Party Press Review (PPR) and weekly economic magazine M.E.N.

- In line with the sprit of age and spread of specialized press,  MENA issues 10 specialized bulletins in Arabic.

 

- In 1996, it started transmitting its news services via 3 satellites, namely, the Asian Intelsat, covering Asia and Africa, the Atlantic Intelsat, covering Europe, Mediterranean countries and North Africa and Europe Eutelsat all over the world.

- In June 1997, the Agency accessed the Internet and opened its website in Arabic , English and French.