General Authority for Radio and Television (Syria)

{{Short description|State-owned broadcaster of Syria}} {{coord|33|30|44.4|N|36|16|32.2|E|type:landmark|display=title}} {{Infobox company | name = General Authority for Radio and Television | logo = General Authority for Radio and Television Syria Logo.jpg | logo_size = 200px | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | native_name = الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون (Arabic) | former_name = ORTAS<br />Radio and Television (RTV Syria)<br />Syrian Radio & Television (SRT) | industry = Broadcasting<br />Media | genre = | founded = {{Plainlist| *{{start date and age|1947|2|3|df=y}} (Radio) *{{start date and age|1960|7|23|df=y}} (Television) *{{start date and age|1960|df=y}} (Actual company) }} | founder = | hq_location = Umayyad Square, Damascus, Syria | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Alaa Barsilo (Director)<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Syrian News Channel (al-Ikhbariya) officially launches new visual identity via satellite - Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) |url=https://sana.sy/en/local/354650/ |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> | products = {{hlist|TV shows|News|Web portals|Video production|Digital media}} | brands = {{Flatlist| *Radio Damascus *Al-Souriya TV *Syrian News Channel }} | services = Broadcast, radio, television, Internet, and printing | owner = Government of Syria | website = {{URL|https://rtv.gov.sy/}} }}

The '''General Authority for Radio and Television''' ('''GART''') ({{Langx|ar|الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون|al-Hayʾah al-ʿĀmmah li-l-Idhāʿah wa-al-Tilifizyūn}}) is the public broadcaster in Syria and reports to the Ministry of Information.

It was previously known as the ''General Organization of Radio and TV'' ({{langx|ar|الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون}}), also known in French as ''Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne'' (in short ''ORTAS''). Earlier names were Radio and Television (RTV Syria) and Syrian Radio & Television (SRT).<ref name="European Neighborhood Journalism Network">{{cite web |url=http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/ |title=Syria-media profile |author=European Neighborhood Journalism Network |date=n.d. |agency=European Neighborhood Journalism Network |access-date=30 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009035310/http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/ |archive-date=9 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For much of its existence, the organization was the Assad regime's propaganda tool until it was taken over by opposition groups in December 2024 amidst the fall of Damascus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Organization of Radio and TV - Syria |url=http://en.ortas.online/index.php?d=100455 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=en.ortas.online}}</ref>

Several television channels and radio stations are being run by this organization, including Al-Souriya TV and Radio Damascus. GART is an active member of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)<ref name="EBU Associates">{{cite web|url=https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=associate|title=EBU Associate Members|website=ebu.ch|publisher=EBU|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> and formerly a member of International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT).

== History == The legal basis is a legislative decree from 2010, which, however, was largely not implemented. Sūmar Wassūf became head of the commission in December 2018.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, the radio and television channel has undergone reconstruction, and its programs have been suspended since December 2024, with a projected resumption in 2026.

thumb|right|Fifth logo used from March to October 2025

==Services== The General Authority for Radio and Television is the governmental body responsible for radio and television broadcasting in Syria. It is divided into two parts:

===Radio=== {{See also|List of radio stations in Syria}} Radio broadcasting began in the First Syrian Republic upon its independence on 17 April 1946 on shortwave. As early as 1942, Radio Damas, a counterpart to Radio Levant in Beirut, Lebanon existed in the French League of Nations mandate.

Nationwide radio programs include: * Radio Damascus ({{Langx|ar|إذاعة دمشق|Iḏāʿa Dimashq}}; since 1947) * ''Sawt Al-Shabab FM'' ({{Langx|ar|صوت الشباب}}; since 2002) – suspended * ''Radio Souryana'' ({{Langx|ar|سوريان|Sūryānā}}; since 2015) – suspended

Former radio station: * Sawt Al-Shab ({{Langx|ar|صوت الشعب|Ṣaut aš-Šaʿb|Voice of the people}}) (1979–2017)

Regional radio programs are (from north to south): *Radio Sanabel FM, in Al-Hasakah *Radio Aleppo FM, in Aleppo *Radio Amwaj FM, in Latakia *Radio Tartus, in Tartus *Radio Zenobia, in Homs *Radio al-Karma, in Sweida

The shortwave international broadcaster Radio Damascus has existed from 1947 until 2013. According to the frequency announcements in the program, both FM (VHF) and AM (medium wave) are broadcast.

===Television=== {{Further|Television in Syria}}

The television station is based in Damascus, Syria since July 1960.<ref>{{cite news |author=Mariam Ghorbannejad |date=12 February 2011 |title=Broadcast media: Open to new players? |url=http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=74083 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706131944/http://www.forwardsyria.com/story/400/Broadcast%20media:%20Open%20to%20new%20players |archive-date=6 July 2011 |access-date=17 April 2014 |magazine=Forward Syria |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=tvfactbook>{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1977-TV-Factbook/1977-TV-Factbook.pdf|title=Television Factbook|date=1977|accessdate=31 March 2021|page=1109}}</ref> The channel airs programmes in Arabic and English.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/|title=Syria-media profile|author=European Neighborhood Journalism Network|date=n.d.|agency=European Neighborhood Journalism Network|access-date=30 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009035310/http://www.journalismnetwork.eu/index.php/_en/country_profiles/syria/|archive-date=9 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its first channel, Channel 1, was broadcasting in black and white until 1978. A second channel was added in 1985 (discontinued in 2012 due to the civil war) and in 1996, the satellite service Syria TV began broadcasting. On 5 September 2012, Syrian Television channel broadcasts were broken off on Arabsat and Nilesat, including Syria TV. Syria TV and Syrian Drama TV broadcasts were stopped on Hot Bird on 22 October 2012.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 October 2012 |title=Hotbird Suspends Broadcasting Syrian Satellite Channels.. Journalists' Union condemns Step |url=http://sana.sy/eng/21/2012/10/22/448494.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110104305/http://sana.sy/eng/21/2012/10/22/448494.htm |archive-date=10 November 2013 |access-date=17 April 2014 |df=mdy-all |agency=SANA}}</ref>

The digital television switchover (DVB-T) in Syria has been restarted since mid-2018, in the provinces of Damascus, Daraa, As Suwayda, Rif Dimashq, Tartus, Latakia, Quneitra and Hama, however there is still no date for an analog switch off.

GART national and satellite television channels: *Al-Souriya TV (since 1995), also known as Syria TV, distributed through digital terrestrial television (DTT) and satellite television (Nilesat, Es'hailSat) *Syrian News Channel, also known as Al-Ikhbariyah Syria (since 2010), distributed through digital terrestrial television (DTT) and satellite television (Nilesat, Es'hailSat) ; Suspended broadcast since December 2024 *Syrian Local Channel (since 2022), distributed through DTT *Noor Al-Sham (religious channel; since 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://syria-today.com/index.php/component/content/article/952-life/17960-in-lieu-of-worshipping|title=In Lieu of Worshipping|work=Syria Today|date=6 September 2012|accessdate=23 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715195830/http://syria-today.com/index.php/component/content/article/952-life/17960-in-lieu-of-worshipping|archive-date=15 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Syrian Drama TV (since 2009)<ref>{{cite news|title=آخر تحديثات" ضبط تردد سوريا دراما لمتابعة المسلسلات الحديثة 2021|url=https://www.klma.org/tech/%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%AF-%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-2019-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7|website= www.klma.org|access-date= 1 November 2021}}</ref> *Syrian Education TV (since 2008) *Drama 24 *Sports TV *Sakaker Kids TV *Syriana TV Radio and TV *Ugarit TV (since 2014) – a regional channel from Latakia;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://syrianobserver.com/news/33809/ugarit_tv_karameh_radio_begin_broadcasting_in_latakia_sweida.html|title=Ugarit TV, Karameh Radio Begin Broadcasting in Latakia, Sweida|first=T.|last=S|date=January 3, 2014|access-date=18 November 2022}}</ref> Latakia Radio and Television Center was established in 1987 for the hosting of the 1987 Mediterranean Games

Former channels include Syrian Medical TV and Talaqie TV which both closed in 2016; terrestrial channels Channel 2 and Channel 1 (now Syrian Local Channel) closed down in 2012.

==See also== * Television in Syria * List of radio stations in Syria ==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website}} *{{Facebook}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20031212003551/http://www.rtv.gov.sy/ www.rtv.gov.sy] (former homepage, archived in 2003)

{{Syria topics}} {{Television in Syria}} {{European Broadcasting Union Members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:General Authority for Radio and Television}} Category:1960 establishments in Syria Category:Mass media companies established in 1960 Category:Mass media companies of Syria Category:Mass media in Damascus Category:State media Category:Radio in Syria Category:Television companies of Syria Category:Government-owned companies of Syria Category:Multilingual broadcasters Category:Arabic-language radio stations Category:Arabic-language television stations Category:European Broadcasting Union members