Media official orders end to Maspero disciplinary procedures

Head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) Shokry Abu Emeria Cairo – Akram Ali The head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) Shokry Abu Emeria on Thursday gave orders to stop disciplinary procedures against staff who had stated personal opinions on the ongoing political developments in Egypt on their shows, Egypt’s official news agency MENA reported.
Earlier procedures threatened presenters, chief editors, editors and directors.
Abu Emeria added that his decision is based on a June 28, 2013 ERTU statement in which he said that the Egyptian media is owned by Egyptians and that state TV and radio\'s bias is towards the people.
Egyptian news reports had said last week that employees at Maspero were under pressure to convey the news in a way that portrayed ousted President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in a favourable light.
Minister of Information Salah Abdel Maqsoud was said to have cancelled all talk shows on Egyptian state television, instead controlling all content from a central broadcasting room for the June 30 protests.
The minister delegated special powers to presidential adviser Ahmed Abdel Aziz, Nile News chief news bulletin editor Yasser al-Dakkany and news programming general manager Badr al-Shafie, to control how the news was reported, reports said.
Abdel Maqsoud reportedly gave instructions to focus on Islamists rallies at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square in Nasr City, where supporters of President Mohammed Morsi were holding their sit-in.