Ahmed Al-Moslemani, head of Egypt’s National Media Authority, has called for public-service broadcasting to balance its public-interest responsibilities with financial sustainability, as the country marks 100 years of Egyptian Radio. Speaking at the closing session of the Future of Media and Communication forum in Amman, Jordan, he said Maspero must position itself for the future rather than remain a custodian of its broadcasting history.
Al-Moslemani’s remarks highlight a central challenge for state-funded media organisations: maintaining their public-service remit while adapting to changing audience habits, digital distribution and financial pressures. His comments also align with Maspero’s wider modernisation efforts, including the use of technology to preserve and enhance archival programming.
The day before the forum’s closing session, Al-Moslemani met Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication, Mohammed Al-Momani. Their discussions covered cooperation between the countries’ media institutions, the exchange of expertise in developing state media, and the digitisation of radio and television archives. No formal agreement was announced.
Archive digitisation presents both a preservation challenge and a potential commercial opportunity for public broadcasters. Egypt’s extensive Arabic-language radio and television collections could support new digital releases, licensing, educational use and international distribution if they are properly digitised, catalogued and cleared for use. Without investment in these processes, valuable material may remain difficult to access and monetise.
For broadcasters across Africa and the Arab world, the discussion raises a wider question about how public media organisations can turn historical collections into accessible digital assets without compromising their cultural and public-service value. Partnerships between national broadcasters could help build technical capacity, share expertise and develop approaches to archive management.
However, the Amman discussions remain an indication of policy direction rather than a confirmed commercial arrangement. No agreement, funding commitment or implementation timetable was announced. The significance lies in Maspero’s stated intention to connect institutional modernisation with the long-term sustainability of public broadcasting.
