Lebanese state revives Lebanon Television, but is it too late?

After years of administrative paralysis and financial erosion, Lebanon Television has returned, seeking, for the first time in a long time, to regain a minimum level of presence and public role.

The appointment of a new board of directors, chaired by Elissar Naddaf, in summer 2025, opened the door to long-awaited reform efforts. Despite this progress, significant challenges remain at the institution's heart: staff conditions, funding and the real capacity to turn promises into sustainability rather than another episode in a history of temporary rescue.

Naddaf's appointment, who officially assumed her duties in August 2025, marked an administrative turning point, ending a structural vacancy on the Lebanon Television board that had persisted since 1999. The vacancy posed a fundamental obstacle to taking key decisions and implementing measures.

This development, alongside growing official interest in the institution, allowed the broadcaster to regain a symbolic presence in public life. This was reflected in the insistence by the republic's presidencies and the government on granting it first appearances at pivotal national events.

Among the most advanced steps in the rehabilitation process is the digitisation of the Lebanon Television archive. The project began under previous information ministers, including former minister Ziad Makary, and is being completed with support from the UNESCO office in Beirut and the ALIPH Foundation—the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas. This track was capped by the archive's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, alongside renovation work at the main building in Hazmieh, southeast of Beirut, to resume broadcasting from its studios.

An agreement with the Maharat Foundation was also signed to strengthen women's presence in the media and public. In this context, the United Nations Children's Fund is scheduled to support Lebanon Television in producing content for children that highlights their perspectives and strengthens their participation in public spaces, while adhering to child-sensitive media standards in national programming.

Lebanon Television board member Mohammad Nimer told The New Arab that the current board "brings together media, technical and administrative expertise."

He said work began with organising production teams and correspondents, and launching assessment workshops on the current situation, in preparation for setting a short- and long-term operational strategy for the production process, including its form, content, and implementation mechanisms.

Nimer said the broadcaster recently passed "major tests", including coverage of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Beirut, an interview with President Joseph Aoun, multiple partnerships, and the nomination of the archive for the Memory of the World Register.

He added that the next phase will see further partnerships, development in production, and the scheduling of new programmes that have begun to air, alongside work to strengthen the technical infrastructure for digital broadcasting and improve the staff's work environment.

On funding, Nimer said the largest share of Lebanon Television's budget still comes from official allocations from the Lebanese state, while the remainder is covered through partnerships, grants, and advertising. He described the current phase as an "initial rescue stage" within a broader recovery plan that includes updating equipment and infrastructure, training in digital production methods and relaunching national programmes.

Nimer said restoring the broadcaster to its historic position "requires major effort and funding in stages", stressing that the core challenge is not limited to launching development projects but to ensuring sustainability. He pointed to the need for additional support to update technologies, studios and tools, enabling the broadcaster to keep pace with digital and technological shifts in the media landscape.

Regarding staff conditions, Nimer acknowledged that employees have been the backbone of the broadcaster's survival lately, saying their efforts have sustained broadcasting under the most difficult circumstances.

He described previous sit-ins and stoppages as a "natural reaction" to financial and administrative marginalisation, noting that the current management is working to gradually improve conditions in line with standards that include seniority, qualifications, productivity, and professional experience.

"This," he said, "aims to ensure job stability and sustainable media performance, while acknowledging the difficulty of the task."

Regarding information about approving a minimum wage of about 300 dollars, roughly 27 million Lebanese pounds, an amount that does not reach half of what employees earned before the 2019 economic crisis, Nimer told The New Arab that "the step represents, at minimum, a beginning to improving salaries."

He acknowledged that it does not reflect the professional or historical value of the Lebanon Television staff.

He said any subsequent increase will be implemented gradually, based on seniority, experience, and productivity, with the official decision to be issued by the director general and the chair of the board.

In parallel, Lebanon Television employees are awaiting the translation of these indications into clear executive decisions, particularly regarding salaries, amid pressing living conditions.
 

According to information obtained by The New Arab, workers learned of the approval of a minimum wage but are awaiting a board meeting scheduled for this week to resolve the issue. They hope implementation will begin effectively, amid a prevailing conviction that salaries represent a red line and that any delay in payment directly affects living conditions and professional performance inside the institution.

Former information minister Ziad Makary said the appointment of a new board after a long vacancy is a "necessary and positive step" because it facilitates administrative work and decision-making, especially with a fully empowered government.

He said the step, vital as it is, remains insufficient unless accompanied by the introduction of young talent and an injection of new blood to keep pace with the profession's rapid changes.

Makary further stressed that funding remains a basic condition for restoring presence, whether to update technical equipment or produce programmes and series.

He said projects under preparation during his term, including the creation of a production directorate and the strengthening of its presence on digital platforms, were halted due to the recent war on Lebanon by Israel.

Elsie Mfarrej, head of the Syndicate of Journalists in Lebanon, said any improvements proposed at Lebanon Television remain incomplete unless translated into root solutions, foremost among them fairness to employees and improved salaries under difficult economic conditions.

She stressed that injecting a new generation of media professionals and investing in human energy is no less important than technical upgrading.

Mfarrej said that reliance on competence and professionalism, and respect for the profession's ethics, should form the basis of any recruitment or development process. 

In this context, professional circles following the file say the bet on restoring Lebanon Television does not lie in competing with commercial channels but in re-establishing its role as a public media facility. This includes providing a balanced space for political debate and delivering cultural content and programmes that address social concerns and diversity. This role is viewed as a public function in which credibility and balance take precedence over market logic and ratings competition.

On programming, Lebanon Television has recently begun airing a group of new programmes, including talk shows such as Hiwarat al Saray, as well as a youth programme produced in cooperation with United Nations bodies.

According to Nimer, preparations are underway for an election programme titled Parliament 2026 to accompany the upcoming parliamentary vote, as well as special programmes for Ramadan and a drama project. This aligns with an orientation focused on strengthening internal production and consolidating the broadcaster's national identity, with plans for other programmes and series to be announced in due course.

Nimer said negotiations have begun with relevant parties to broadcast World Cup football matches free of charge on the official screen. If completed, this step would put the broadcaster at the centre of public attention and reinforce its role as a public service for all citizens.

He said negotiations are still ongoing in a positive atmosphere, without setting a final date for announcing any agreement.