General Organization of Radio and TV (Syria)

33°30′44.4″N 36°16′32.2″E / 33.512333°N 36.275611°E / 33.512333; 36.275611

Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne (ORTAS)
TypeBroadcast radio, television and online
Country
AvailabilityNational
HeadquartersUmayyad Square, Damascus
OwnerGovernment of Syria
Launch date
July 1960; 64 years ago (1960-07) (television)
Former names
  • Radio and Television (RTV Syria)
  • Syrian Radio & Television (SRT)
Official website
ortas.online

The General Organization of Radio and TV (Arabic: الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون), also known in French as Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne (in short ORTAS), is the state and public broadcaster in Syria and reports to the Ministry of Information. Earlier names were Radio and Television (RTV Syria) and Syrian Radio & Television (SRT).[1]

The legal basis is a legislative decree from 2010, which, however, was largely not implemented. Sūmar Wassūf became head of the commission in December 2018.

Several television channels and radio stations are being run by this organization, including Syria TV and Damascus Radio. ORTAS is an active member of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)[2] and formerly a member of International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT).

  1. ^ European Neighborhood Journalism Network (n.d.). "Syria-media profile". European Neighborhood Journalism Network. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  2. ^ "EBU Associate Members". ebu.ch. EBU. Retrieved 9 June 2015.