CAIRO (AP) — A prominent Egyptian statesman criticized Saturday a local TV station for stopping the airing of a widely popular satire show, describing the decision as unwise and harmful to the country.
Private broadcaster CBC said the program by Bassem Youssef, often compared to U.S. comedian Jon Stewart, would not be shown because the satirist and his producer violated editorial policy.
The decision appeared to be a reaction to the sharp criticism Youssef came under after his first episode following a four-month hiatus mocked the country's recent nationalist fervor.
But suspending the program caused an outcry among Youssef's liberal fan base and a number of prominent public figures who said it undermined freedom of expression and stifled criticism.
Some called for a boycott of the station, and dozens of fans staged a rally near the theatre where Youssef records his program. "Government, why do you fear Youssef?" they chanted to drumbeats.
Amr Moussa, a former presidential candidate who currently chairs a panel tasked with amending Egypt's constitution, urged CBC to reconsider a decision he said had raised concerns for freedom of expression.
"Suspending Bassem Youssef's program is an unwise decision that stirred resentment and concern by many about freedoms," Moussa said in a statement emailed to reporters. "I urge CBC to reconsider its decision that hurt Egypt, like it hurt the station management."
The announcement by CBC came just minutes before Youssef's show "El-Bernameg," or "The Program" in Arabic, was to air Friday night.
Egypt's presidential adviser reacted quickly to the public outcry, distancing the government from the decision. Ahmed el-Muslemani told the Abu-Dhabi-based Sky News Arabia that the decision was "an internal matter." He added that the president respected freedom of expression and opinion.
Those who watched the pre-recorded program said the episode was largely critical of the station's policies. Youssef mocked the station's management for criticizing his first episode, when they issued a public statement advising him to respect national sentiment and "symbols of the Egyptian state."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-tv-criticized-suspending-popular-satire-160336395.htmlTags: time change Dakota Johnson krispy kreme rosh hashanah Perez Hilton
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