In an unprecedented move in the world of Egyptian media, Naguib Sawiris, owner of the OTV satellite television channel, has agreed with Mahmoud Baraka and Ihab Talaat, the owners of Al-Beit Beituk satellite channel, to merge the two channels into a single network.
The merger, which was finalized in December, was not officially announced until the two parties had agreed to air a talk show, entitled "Al-Beit Beituk," on the new channel.
The channel owners are expected to soon announce details of the agreement at a press conference.
It is believed that Egyptian steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz, a leading figure in the ruling National Democratic Party of Hosni Mubarak, holds a majority stake in Al-Beit Beituk.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
