PLACEMENT OF ABU DHABI TV COOP ON "MUSLIMS IN

					  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