Egypt's Anchor Reem Maged (Photo: Reem Maged Facebook page)
A show about women's issues presented by outspoken Egyptian journalist Reem Maged has been suspended by its broadcaster after only two episodes, the channel's head has said.
The reasons for halting Gamea Moanas Salem (“Feminine Plural”), which was broadcast on Egyptian satellite channel ONTV, were not given by channel head Albert Shafiq in his statement about the suspension.
In a phone call to the studio of Akher El-Nahar news talk show on Friday, Maged said she did not know the reasons either and called upon the entity that took the decision to clarify.
"I do not understand the logic of banning, I see it as arrogance and guardianship," she said.
The weekly show, which marked Maged's return to the airwaves after an almost two-year hiatus, will continue to air on the Arabic language station of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Maged came to the limelight during Egypt's 2011 revolution for her vociferous criticism of the authorities in the run-up to the downfall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and she continued to be a critical voice during the transitional period, when the country was ruled first by the military council and then by president Mohamed Morsi.
Maged has been off screen since mid-2013. Her political talk show, Baladna Bel Masry (“Our Country In Egyptian”), was axed after she refused to renew her contract. She said later in an interview that a shift in the channel's policy was no longer "in line with my convictions."
Her new programme, however, focuses on female issues in Egypt and presents inspiring examples of women. It started airing on both ONTV and Deutsche Well’s Arabic channel on 2 May.
Reports in local media suggest that there has been pressure from the authorities to ban Maged from appearing on Egyptian channels.
"What makes it painful to me is that I willingly haven't been working for two years for reasons I have stated before. During these two years I insisted not to work for a non-Egyptian channel…for emotional rather than professional reasons," she said.
"I found out I was deprived from working in an Egyptian broadcaster."
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