President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has directed that the progress achieved in the national project to archive and digitise Egypt’s radio and television heritage be presented to the public, highlighting the extensive efforts undertaken to preserve one of the country’s most valuable cultural and media assets within the Egyptian Television Library.
The president also stressed the importance of modernising Maspero through the simultaneous development of its infrastructure, the expansion of media content, and the comprehensive digitisation of its heritage.
The directives were issued during a meeting in El Alamein attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi, and Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan.
Attendees also included Presidential Adviser for Media Affairs Major General Mohsen Abdel-Nabi, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Khaled Abdel Aziz, Chairman of the National Media Authority (NMA) Ahmed El-Moslemany, Director of the Armed Forces Signal Corps Major General Hani Mansour, and Director of the Armed Forces Information Systems Department Major General Walid Attia.
During the meeting, the president instructed enhanced coordination among relevant state institutions to develop Egypt’s public and private media landscape. He emphasised the need to keep pace with rapid developments in the sector by drawing on specialised expertise to deliver a professional and impactful media message.
According to Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, the meeting reviewed progress in implementing the strategic project to archive and digitise the NMA’s radio and television heritage.
The initiative aims to preserve Egypt’s rich media and artistic legacy by converting it into high-quality digital formats, making it accessible for cultural, educational and media purposes through co-operation with relevant state institutions and leading international companies.
The meeting also reviewed the establishment of organised digital databases to catalogue and document nearly one million audio and video tapes, comprising around 800,000 hours of content. The project employs advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to convert, classify, securely preserve and facilitate the retrieval of archived materials.
Discussions also covered the modernisation of Maspero’s studios, upgrades to technical infrastructure and equipment, and the expansion of content distribution across digital viewing platforms.
The president further reviewed initiatives to strengthen the digital presence of national media, including the Maspero Platform, alongside efforts to preserve the heritage of Qur’an reciters and chanters and archive programmes broadcast by Holy Qur’an Radio since its launch in 1964 as part of the “Digital First” strategy.
For his part, NMA Chairman Ahmed El-Moslemany said the Egyptian Radio and Television Archive is the largest and most significant media archive in the Arab region, containing an unparalleled collection of recordings, programmes and audiovisual materials documenting Egypt’s history over several decades.
The project represents a long-term national investment in safeguarding this heritage and ensuring its preservation for future generations in a secure and modern digital format, he added.
