Financial crisis forces mass layoffs and closures at Brotherhood-linked TV channels abroad

Several Brotherhood-affiliated television channels operating outside Egypt have implemented significant layoffs and closures due to a severe financial crisis, according to sources cited by Al Arabiya. The affected channels include Al Sharq, Mekameleen, Al Hiwar, the Rassd network, Watan, and Misk. Management of these organizations have retained only two presenters and their teams, dismissing the rest of the staff, and have notified a large number of employees that their contracts have ended.

Overdue salaries from the past three months have been paid, and end-of-service benefits are expected to be disbursed within one or two months, pending available funds. Some channels, like Rassd in Istanbul and Al Hiwar in London, have also closed their physical offices after their premises were purchased by an independent media company.

The channels plan to continue operations through social media platforms, while seeking new revenue streams from digital advertising. The financial struggles are attributed to disruptions in funding channels linked to Brotherhood-affiliated media, exacerbated by restrictions imposed on investment networks following the US designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The management is now focusing on adapting to reduced resources, with some presenters considering job opportunities in Brotherhood-affiliated companies in Turkey, the UK, Italy, and Bosnia.