The General Organization of Radio and Television Syria (ORTAS) is the main broadcaster in Syria. Founded in 1960, ORTAS airs from the capital city of Damascus. It produces programs in Arabic, English and French.
Media assets
Television: Al-Ikhbariyah Syria, Nour El-Sham, Education, Syria Drama, Syrian Channel, TV Ugarit
Radio: Radio Damascus, Radio Drama, Syriana, Sawt Al-Shabab, Tartous FM, Radio Karma, Zenobia FM, Amwaj
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ORTAS belongs to and is run by the Syrian Ministry of Information, which makes all the decisions related to the broadcaster’s management. The organization is accountable to the Council of Ministers.
Source of funding and budget
There is no information about the budget of the ORTAS as the Syrian regime doesn’t generally release information about its administration. Journalists consulted for this report say that the organization is totally dependent on state budget allocations.
Editorial independence
ORTAS works according to an editorial policy that fully follows decisions and orders of the government.
There is no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the independence of ORTAS.
August 2023