Khitan to chair board of state-funded TV channel

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Wednesday naming chairman and board members of the planned public service broadcasting (PSB), an editorially independent TV channel.

Al Ghad's columnist and former Al Arab Al Yawm daily’s editor-in-chief Fahed Khitan was named as chairman of the station with Ayman Safadi, Marwan Jumaa, Nart Buran and Bassem Tweisi as board members.

The new independent TV channel will replace previous government's plans to open a third channel affiliated with the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTVC).

Noting that the new channel will offer public service broadcasting, officials have said that said the new station will be fully independent from the JRTVC. 

The third channel was supposed to broadcast youth, family and drama programmes. 

According to international media outlets and UNESCO, PSB refers to broadcasting made, financed and controlled by the public for the benefit of the public rather than for commercial interest, making it neither commercial nor state-owned.

The government will reportedly allocate JD10 million over a two-year period to fund the channel.