Cessation of programs and displacement of workers... Financial crises threaten to close the Brotherhood’s satellite channels

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Media channels and platforms affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, based in Turkey and some Western capitals as headquarters for broadcasting their content, are facing escalating financial and administrative crises, amid reports of delayed payment of workers’ salaries, reduction of programs, and the tendency of some institutions to close their branches or end their activities.

According to information received by Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net, the crisis includes the Al-Sharq, Al-Hiwar, Watan, and Misk channels, in addition to the Rasd network and a number of production and media services companies linked to the group in Istanbul and London.

Published information indicates that the repercussions of the crisis have extended to the living conditions of workers, in light of the delayed disbursement of financial dues, and the accumulation of housing obligations for some employees, in addition to a number of them being forced to search for alternative sources of income to provide for their basic needs.

Regarding the "Al-Sharq" channel, which is run by the Egyptian oppositionist Ayman Nour, information indicated that the channel was intending to cancel some major programs to reduce expenses, in light of the financial pressures it faces.

As for the “Watan” channel, information indicates that a salary disbursement system is followed that requires delaying dues, so that workers receive a month’s salary every two months, while employees of the religious “Misk” channel have been facing a delay in disbursing salaries for several months.

In London, information speaks of Al-Hiwar Channel intending to liquidate its branch in Istanbul, amid reports of the possibility of its final closure due to the worsening financial deficit and declining funding.

Reports also indicate that some production and media services companies associated with these platforms have terminated the services of dozens of employees, with complaints about non-settlement of financial dues and end-of-service bonuses, which has caused escalation of disputes between workers and the departments of the institutions concerned.

The information circulating links the financial crisis facing these platforms to a number of factors, including regional developments, potential pressures in countries of residence, and a decline in funding sources, in addition to internal disputes between the group’s leaders regarding influence and distribution of financial resources.

Reports also talk about possible repercussions for reviewing institutions and individuals associated with the group in Europe, and the possibility of some entities changing their names or ownership structures. However, these explanations require independent evidence to confirm the nature of the actions, their causes, and the extent of their direct connection to the financial crisis.

On the other hand, published information indicates that the salaries of some broadcasters, including Muhammad Nasser, Osama Jawish, and Moataz Matar, continue to be regular, despite talk of delayed salaries for other sectors of workers.

The announced developments come in the context of the transformations witnessed in the activity of media platforms linked to the Brotherhood in Turkey over the past years, with reports of restrictions imposed on some political programs directed against Egypt, and changes in the nature of the content presented through a number of channels.

The map of these platforms also witnessed changes in broadcast headquarters and the nature of activity, coinciding with a decline in the presence of some entities and a change in their working conditions. The file of the “Mekmelin” channel stands out among these transformations, after it stopped broadcasting from Türkiye and its activities moved outside it.

The ability of these channels to continue remains linked to developments in financing, management, and policies regulating their work in the countries of residence, at a time when reports of delayed salaries and reduced programs raise questions about the future of workers and the amount of media activity that these institutions will be able to continue.