Kuwait Times - 21 September, 2011 - The fifth session of the Arab Producers Union here adopted Kuwaiti proposals regarding marketing of Arab media productions at international festivals and encouraging youth-focused productions. Participants praised the Kuwaiti call for stress on provision of property rights protection and that the next session focuses on audiences; what do we produce, and for the benefit of whom? Head of the Kuwaiti delegation Mohammad Abdelmehsin Al-Awwash said there was much appreciation and support of this and many other Kuwaiti proposals and interjections during the event.

The Kuwaiti side sees a great and urgent need for more youth-focused and youth-appropriate programming in the young Arab region, and noted to the great volume of interaction and popularity of FM stations' programs as proof this is a great viable venue to guide and inform the young.

Al-Awwash, who is assistant undersecretary for radio affairs at the Information Ministry, remarked that it is important to provide intellectual property protection for Arab productions while seeking to promote and market them at international media production festivals and events, and most particularly in Asia and Europe.

The proposal to adopt identity and specific-audience needs and expectations as focus for the next round of meetings reflects a belief in responsible, aware, and clear-mission media; there should always be a message in support of current Arab and Islamic issues in any genre of production, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the GCC Joint Programming Production Corporation Abdelmihsin Al-Bannai said it was important for Kuwait to partake in the ongoing meetings. This is, among other reasons, because Kuwait is a major producer of dramas, documentaries, and culture-focused media. It is very important for us, therefore, to seek better exposure and promotion.

The ultimate objective is exchange of expertise, finding means to support and better manage the field, and work for integration and coordination in production. Along with Al-Awwash and Al-Bannai, the Kuwaiti delegation includes Kuwait TV Channel One Coordination Director Jassem Al-Sharif, Kuwait Radio Professional Supervisor Yousef Al-Srayye', Kuwait Radio Media Affairs Supervisor Mansour Al-Ajmi, and Kuwait Radio Undersecretary Office Director Bader Al-Enizi.

The meetings began with discussion on a host of issues related to development of production in both mechanisms and technicalities and in quality and message of product. The participants include ministers of culture and of media, diplomats, media figures and professionals, artists, producers, media channel owners and managers, and representatives of a host of Arab and other media production bodies and cities, both state and private.

The three-day meetings are to touch on issues of financing and legislation required to protect intellectual property rights, as well as discuss creation of translation centers. The current session was launched under the theme of Al-Quds; Capital City of the Arab Palestine.

The event was stressed as an opportunity to collect a million signatures and endorsements for a petition that is addressed to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon calling for recognition of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

The petition is accessible on the Arab Producers Union website, where there is an option to spread the plea via social media including Twitter and Facebook as well. The plea is featured in pages and spread by 11 Arab media bodies and channels in Kuwait, Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo, Khartoum, Dubai, Sharjah, Amman, Irbil, Baghdad, Damascus, and Lebanon.

Added by: Ismail, ITC