[Satellite TODAY 11-29-10] The Egyptian Administrative Court of the State Council ordered the reopening of five NileSat satellite channels after being shut down earlier this month for alleged contractual breaches with Egyptian authorities, NileSat announced Nov. 28.
    The court ruled that the channels Al-Badr, Wesal, Sifa, Al-Rahma and Al-Hafez had not committed any violations that would justify their closure. The court also said the Egyptian Satellite Co., which grants and terminates satellite broadcast permits for the government, had not warned the channels about the alleged breaches prior to closing the channels down.
    The decision stems from an order issued by Egyptian Information Minister Annas el-Fiqi Nov. 1 which required all satellite broadcasters providing uplink services or television networks with uplinks to reapply for permits, revoking all existing licenses for its regional satellite television uplinks.
    The measure affected about a dozen uplink providers and TV stations. Regional broadcasters, which saw several private Egyptian TV channels shut down recently for allegedly violating broadcasting license rules, blasted the move as a political tactic to crackdown on the media and prevent voter turnout ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections.