Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) is the official broadcasting outlet of the State of Qatar. Created in 2009, the company runs two television stations and six radio channels.
Media assets
Television: Qatar TV, Qatar 2, Al-Kass Sports
Radio: QBS Radio, A-Rayyan Radio, Qatar Radio, Urdu Radio, Oryx Radio, Holy Quran Radio, Sout Al Khaleej
News agency: Qatar News Agency
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
QMC is owned by the State of Qatar, which makes all the decisions related to appointing the company’s top management. The company was established through the Emiri Resolution No. 9 of 2009. According to the resolution, the company is affiliated with the Council of Ministers, which is the government of Qatar. The President and CEO of the company are appointed through an Emiri decision based on nominations made by the Council of Ministers. Now, the company’s chairman is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of the ruling family of Qatar, the House of Thani. He also chairs the board of directors at Al Jazeera Media Network.
Source of funding and budget
According to its establishment decree, QMC should be funded through a combination of state subsidies, revenues generated on its own (through advertising or other activities), donations, and bank loans. There is no publicly available information about QMC’s budget. According to academic sources in Qatar, roughly 75% of QMC’s budget comes from the State of Qatar. Two journalists at QMC interviewed for this report in March 2024 indicated that the company generated revenues of US$ 4m in 2021.
Editorial independence
As a ministry-run broadcast company, QMC closely follows a set of editorial rules imposed on the station by the Qatari government. The station does not tolerate criticism on several topics, including Islam and government.
There is no domestic and independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate QMC’s editorial independence.
July 2024