The General Organization of Radio and Television Syria (ORTAS) is the leading 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 ORTAS budget as the Syrian regime doesn’t generally release information about its administration. According to Syrian journalists living abroad, the broadcaster is fully funded by the government.
Editorial independence
According to Syrian journalists and academics living abroad interviewed for this report in May 2024, ORTAS works according to an editorial policy that follows government decisions and orders.
There is no domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the independence of ORTAS.
July 2024