How are you reestablishing your credibility in the wake of the Bush administration’s ‘

Hearts and Minds’ policies?

Where we’re going as a channel - and that’s through making news and information in a balanced way for the region through creating a platform where citizens can participate in a dialogue. … Basically, citizens from the region in particular [can engage] about commonality of ideas and concepts and issues, whether from women’s rights to human rights to … food and passion, to all that. We are establishing a unique proposition that was not available in the region, and that might leave you with people with better information and more education.

What is the budget, roughly, that you currently enjoy for your operations?

The budget of all international broadcasting is about $769 million.

Would you say then that public sector spending on news organizations is really one of the few ways that international journalism can survive?

Right now, yes. Absolutely. … Thank God for it. I’m a product of commercial broadcasting … I’m the son of a radio operator and a TV operator and it was my livelihood. I was always driven by ratings and selling spots, but it’s obvious - it doesn’t take a very brilliant person to figure out that a government subsidy today has become essential for supporting free expression and journalism.

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