NEWS CENTRE - Mix Media, a company providing local broadcasting services in South Kurdistan, announced that it has suspended the broadcasts of Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and Al Hadath television channels.

 

Hundreds of people from different professional groups in the South Kurdistan Region had issued a joint statement calling for the banning of all ‘special war channels’ belonging to Al Jazeera, Hadath, Al Arabiya, Al Sharqiya and Turkey from operating in the Kurdistan Region and for their offices to be closed. Following the statements and reactions, Mix Media, which provides local broadcasting services, announced that the broadcasts of these channels had been suspended. The company stated that the reason for the decision was that the channels in question ‘spread disinformation’ and "followed a broadcasting policy that was incompatible with the interests of the Kurdistan Region."

 

Mix Media stated that it has between 250,000 and 300,000 subscribers across the Kurdistan Region and that protecting its subscribers is a ‘moral responsibility’ for the company. Officials also reported that they have not received any complaints from subscribers regarding the suspension of broadcasts so far.

 

While no date was given for when broadcasting would resume, company officials stated that the decision would remain in effect based on their assessment of the situation and "for as long as deemed necessary."