Established in 2009 as a government entity to run media broadcasts from Sharjah, Sharjah Media Corporation was transformed into Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) in 2019. The company runs several television and radio channels, the most prominent being Sharjah TV, which was founded in 1989. SBA’s channels target both Emiratis and expats.
Media assets
Television: Sharjah TV, Sharjah Sports, Al Wusta, Al Sharqiya, Sharjah 2; Radio: Sharjah Radio, Quran Radio, Pulse 95
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC), now SBA, is a government agency established in the Emirate of Sharjah through the Emiri Decree No. 25 of 2009 (renamed SBA through Decree No. 1 of 2019). The Supreme Council of Sharjah appoints the central governing bodies at SBA. In 2021, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah, issued another legal act, Decree Law No. (2) on the regulation of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) that further restricts the company’s independence. One of the newly introduced provisions requires the SBA to seek approval of the Sharjah Media Council, the politicized media regulator in Sharjah, when it carries out its main duties.
Source of funding and budget
There is no publicly available financial data about SBA. The company funds its operations primarily through ad sales. The government offers subsidies to SBA, but according to journalists and experts who cover the UAE interviewed for this report in May 2024, they account for less than 50% of the company’s annual budget.
Editorial independence
No editorial rules are officially imposed by the government on SBA’s outlets to control their editorial agenda. However, the government indirectly controls the editorial decision-making process at the SBA through the company’s top management, according to journalists and experts who cover the UAE interviewed for this report in May 2024.
No domestic statute, independent assessment, or oversight mechanism that would validate the editorial independence of SBA’s media outlets has been identified.
July 2024