In the late 1950s, following the 1952 revolution, President Gamal Abdel Nasser realized television’s potential for helping to build Egypt into a new nation. Although the decision to start television service had been made earlier, the joint British-French-Israeli Suez invasion delayed work until late 1959. Egypt then signed a contract with Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to provide the country with a television network and the capacity to manufacture sets. After the RCA contract was signed, Egypt began construction of a radio and television center, completed in 1960, and the first television pictures appeared on July 21, 1960, using the 625-line European standard.

From the start, Egypt did everything on a grand scale. Thus, while most nations began their systems modestly with one channel, Egypt began with three. Initially, the government totally subsidized the entire system, through a direct Grant made every year. In 1969, however, and annual license fee of $15 per set was introduced, and after 1979, revenue from advertising and from the sales of programs to other countries also helped in financing. At the present time, a surcharge that goes to the broadcasting authority is added to all electricity bills and provides additional funding for the system.

Egyptian television began its multi-channel operation under the control of the Ministry of Culture and National guidance, an organization that figured prominently in the Nasser regime from the start and that used radio and television broadcasting to disseminate propaganda in support of the ruling regime. Television's role in the culture was heightened following the June 1967 war with Israel, which resulted in an Egyptian defeat that was militarily, economically, and psychologically devastating to that nation. Immediately after the war, there was a decrease in the amount of foreign programming shown. The third channel, over which much programming has been telecast, was eliminated, and the British and U.S. programs that constituted the bulk of imported programs were deemed unacceptable because of the break and diplomatic relations with those countries. Almost all forms of programming on television placed less emphasis on Egypt's military capabilities, tending instead towards the nationalistic, the educational, and the religious. Moving closer to the country's new military supplier, the former Soviet Union, television began showing films about Soviet and Eastern European life. These programs were either provided free of charge or inexpensive to purchase or lease. 

The general technical quality of Egyptian television declined between 1967 and 1974, a period where there was less money for new equipment. Generally, however, the change in government after Nasser’s death and Anwar a-lSadat’s ascendancy to the presidency in 1970 did not appear to have much effect on television programming or the structure of the federation. On August 13, 1970, radio, television, and broadcast engineering were established as separate departments under the Ministry of Information. The new decree formally established the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) and created four distinct sections–radio, television, engineering, and finance–each of which had a chairman who reported directly to the minister. 

Following the October 1973 war, the various Egyptian media took very different approaches to the national situation. Television programming, which took longer to produce and air than radio information, was somewhat more upbeat. As good news came in, television reflected confidence in an Egyptian recovery. After the Egyptian-Israeli engagement, Egyptian television shows dealt more often with the United Nations, European countries, the United States, and Israel. Agreements regarding military disengagements received a high priority for broadcast on the air. More than any other Egyptian mass medium, television was set to reflect the changing international political orientation of the country. Sadat’s government gradually changed Egypt during the 1970s from a socialist orientation to one that was more hospitable to free enterprise and decidedly pro-West. Consequently, the number of Western programs on Egyptian television schedules increased.

The television organization decided during this time to continue the development of color technology. Although some believed that color television was a luxury that Egypt could not afford, the favorable attitude towards it among broadcasting officials prevailed. The French government had been successful in persuading Egypt to adopt the French color system (SECAM) and had installed this equipment in one of the Egyptian studios before the 1973 war. After the war, the decision was made to convert both production and transmission facilities to color, an action that improved the technical quality of Egyptian television by discarding the monochrome equipment that had been installed by RCA long before 1970. Older switchers and cameras, which were becoming difficult to repair or to purchase, were replaced. The new equipment was necessary for the production of programs to be sold to other countries that were also converting to color, and after 1974 television revenues derived from advertising and from program sales to other Arab countries increased significantly. The Egyptian broadcasting authority changed from the SECAM system to PAL, however, in both studio and transmission in 1992.

Because of Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, a number of Arab countries sought to isolate Egypt, remove it from the Arab League, and boycott its exports. Many of these countries broke diplomatic relations with Egypt or reduced the size of their diplomatic missions in Cairo. Nations that supported the boycott no longer purchased Egyptian television programs, stating that they did not need to buy directly from Egypt because so much quality material was available from Egyptian artists living outside Egypt's borders. One response held that the “boycott organizers are interested in drawing the distinction between Egyptian people and the Egyptian government.” Indeed, many Egyptian producers moved to Europe to produce programs for sale to the Arab countries. However, Egyptian television program sales to the Arab world did not decrease as a result; they actually increased. 

During this period, the Egyptian government was very seriously considering plans for a new satellite system. Technical staff Personnel had already been sent to be trained in the United States. This undertaking, called the Space Center Project, was designed mainly for the distribution of Television signals that would link the country through ground stations that would receive and rebroadcast programming to the villages. The proposal became active when the Egyptian president signed a document for the beginning, in 1995, of Nile Satellite (Nilesat), a satellite operation that not only covers the Egyptian state but also services the larger Arab community. 

In addition to the two centralized television networks, a new strategy to decentralize the television broadcasting system was introduced in 1985 during President Hosni Mubarak’s era. The policy was implemented by starting a third television channel that covers only the capital city. This was followed in 1988 by Channel 4, which covers the Suez Zone. Yet another channel was added in 1990 to cover Alexandria, and in 1994 Channel 6 was created to cover the Middle Delta. Most recently, in late 1994, Channel 7 was introduced in southern Egypt. In 1990, Egypt became the first Arab state to start an International television channel when the Egyptian Space Channel was introduced to the Arab world and later to Europe and the United States. Egypt was also the first to start a foreign national network, Nile TV, to serve expatriates in Egypt as well as to promote tourism in English and French languages

In part as a result of these available channels, a television set has become a priority for any young Egyptian couple getting married. Most prefer buying a television set to purchasing other important things for the house. A color TV set is considered a normal part of the household in middle-class families, and the number of such sets has increased greatly since 1970. The price of television sets purchased in Egypt, however, reflects high import taxes, sometimes reaching 200 percent. This expense has led most Egyptians to buy their sets from abroad. Most Egyptian people working outside the country, especially in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, return to Egypt with television sets because of the lower prices in the Gulf countries. Others acquire second hand sets from individuals or from dealers who sometimes help finance such transactions. Egyptian shops do carry a variety of television receivers. These include foreign Brands as well as sets assembled in Egypt, but the imported sets have a reputation of being more reliable. The government is attempting to reduce prices of locally made sets. In 1995, the number of television sets in Egypt was estimated at 6.2 million. 

Programming

From the beginning, Egyptian television has had strong ties with Arab culture. Historical, religious, geographical, political, and linguistic bonds linked Egypt to the Arab countries. Egyptian television was influenced by Arab literature, religion, philosophy, and music. The producers of the first programs– influenced to some extent by the example of contemporary programs from the Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union, which were heavily cultural in content– quite naturally regarded Egyptian television programs as a proper vehicle for Arab literature and the arts. Egyptian television thus performed the function of reinforcing and enhancing Arab culture, what is defined as a heritage and creative endeavor and thought. Its programs also raise the cultural level of the ordinary viewer by presenting refined items covering scientific, literacy, and artistic fields as well as a general theme of Arab music and drama on traditional themes. 

Television is an ideal medium for disseminating Egyptian culture because that culture is family-oriented and tends to center much of its education and entertainment around the home. Nevertheless, the content and style of television broadcasting available to these viewers has changed over time. The government still owns and operates the medium and sometimes uses it to convey political messages, but programming is now characterized by somewhat less politically motivated programming than was typical in the 1960s and 1970s. Contemporary Egyptian television contains more entertainment and popular culture, and the Ministry of Information is trying to stress these aspects and reduce the amount of political content. 

Entertainment programs such as Egyptian soap operas and Egyptian music and songs are very popular. Foreign programs are also popular, especially those from Europe and the United States, which provide Egypt with many series, such as  The Bold and the Beautiful, Knots Landing, Love Boat, and Knight Rider. The famous American series, Dallas, however, was banned from Egyptian television because officials thought it conveyed immoral messages to the public, especially to youth and children.

News is an important aspect of programming in Egypt because of the country's regional position and the fluctuating nature of political alignments in the Arab-speaking area. As previously suggested, the 1960s, especially the events surrounding the 1967 war, was an era of crisis. Egyptian television penetrated the region. It was important for the government to maintain a strong news front in order to present its particular point of view. Newscasts in Egypt included a segment of official “commentary” when there was some special concern to be articulated. From these news broadcasts, as well as other programs, the policies of President Nasser were clear to the viewer, as were the identities of those who are considered the enemies of those policies.

Compared to the beginning of the 1960s, there was a significant increase in the emphasis on education at the beginning of the 1970s. It had taken almost the entire previous decade for the Ministry of Education to be convinced of the value of educational programs. Moreover, the educational programs were run first under the initiative of the broadcasters, who resisted turning any time over to the ministry. However, enlightenment programs remain important in the schedule of Egyptian television and have increased measurably through the years.

Religion, of course, Carrie's great weight in Egypt, an Islamic center. Readings from the Kuran have always been broadcast on a regular basis by Egyptian television, and religious commentaries or advice on proper moral and ethical behaviors are featured. Coverage of the rituals of the Muslim Holy Day is presented as part of the attempt to maintain Islamic traditions and values. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Egyptian television is exceptionally active in religious programming, exhorting the faithful and explicating the pertinence of Islamic history. In the period from 1980 to 1985, a close observer could notice an increase in religious programs.

Children's programming, which formerly was completely of foreign origin, has changed to suit Egyptian culture. Almost all Egyptian programs for youth and women and programs dealing with art and literature have been given increased time on the television schedule.

The Current Broadcasting Industry

Egyptian information media have always been closely tied to politics. Television and Egypt is typically a monopoly under direct government supervision, operation, and ownership. There are several reasons for this. First, the minimum cost of establishing a radio or television system is far greater than the minimum cost of establishing a newspaper, for example, and thus far beyond the capabilities of nearly all private persons in a developing country. Second, this high cost encourages the pooling of resources, or a monopoly. In addition, because the broadcast media reached beyond borders and literacy barriers, the government has a much greater interest in controlling them or at least keeping them out of hostile hands. Anyone with a printing press has the technical capability of reaching the literate elite, and while this is seen by the government as a potential threat, it is not nearly as great a political liability as a monopoly radio station broadcasting to millions. Radio and television, which have the potential of instantaneously reaching every single person in the country and many outside it, are regarded by the Egyptian government as two important to be left to private interest. Third, radio and television are newer media, and the trend is toward greater authoritarian control over all media.

In October 1990, cable television made an entry to Egypt when the government approved the establishment of Cable News Egypt (CNE) in a Cooperative arrangement with the Cable News Network (CNN) to extend for 25 years. The main purpose of the CNE was to retransmit Cable News Network International (CNNI) in Egypt. At the end of 1994, CNE underwent a major change. Cable News Egypt, the name of the original company, was changed to be Cable Network Egypt. The renamed company then made an agreement with a South African-based company, MultiChoice Africa, to market CNE in Egypt. Within the framework of this agreement, MultiChoice began selling a new decoder and introduced new services such as CNN; Music Television (MTV); The Showtime channel; MNet, a movie channel that carries mostly American movies and was rated first among the other networks in terms of popularity from CNE subscribers; CTV, a children’s channel carrying mostly American children’s television programs as well as movies; and Super Sports.

Around the turn of the 21st century, Egypt launched its first generation of Nilesat digital satellites, the state-of-the-art Nilesat-101 (operational June 1998) and Nilesat-102 (operational September 2000). Although the cost of the Nilesat project is almost $158 million, the country is looking forward to gaining maximum benefits from it in many different areas. Each satellite carries 12 transponders, each with a capability of  transmitting a minimum of eight television channels. Transmitting across North Africa and the Arabian peninsula, the Nilesat satellite beam down more than 160 digital television channels and 40 radio channels. The ERTU is making use of many of Nilesat’s channels, which gives Egypt the chance to produce and broadcast its own specialized channels for the first time. As of 2001, ERTU broadcast from the satellite the Nile TV specialized package, which include Nile Drama (made-for-television movies, soap operas, and drama), Nile News, Nile Sports, Nile Culture, and Nile Children as well as educational channels. In addition to these channels, the Nile TV ShowTime package offers CNN, the Movie Channel, Discovery, and Nickelodeon, among other networks. Arab Radio and Television (ART), a Saudi network, also has a package, called 1st NET, on Nilesat. Through this combination of packages, Nilesat is intended to serve both Arabic- and English-language audiences.

It is expected that as a national satellite, Nilesat will save Egypt a great deal of money, the estimated $3.5 million that has been spent annually to transmit the Egyptian Satellite Channel. The project is being supervised by a joint stock company, the Egyptian Company for Satellites; as of 2001, around 40 percent of the shares of this company belong to ERTU, with the rest being held by Egyptian banks and foreign investors.

Founded in 1992 and still expanding a decade later, the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) is a product of the government efforts to attract international investors and media companies to its “Media Free Zone,” in which the state offers tax and Customs exemptions to private media entities that produce in the zone but still regulates editorial content through ERTU. Located in the Sixth of October City, southwest of Cairo, EMPC has three production complexes; two built by EMPC and comprising 11 studios with indoor filming, production, and  post production facilities and one called the Mubarak International Media Complex, which contains  18 individual television studios. In addition, 11 outdoor shooting locations are located within the Media City.

A continuing challenge for Egyptian television concerns its staffing levels. State-run Egyptian television employs almost 14,000 people. Obviously, this large number of television workers is far above that required to produce programs and fill broadcasting time, and there are more workers than necessary for efficient operation of the two centralized television channel services. The figure is especially excessive for a country with limited financial resources.

Along with advertising revenue and license fees (adding monthly to the electricity bill), Egypt depends on sales of Egyptian programs to other countries as the main resource to finance television. Since the peace treaty with Israel, many Arab countries have boycotted Egypt's exports, including media products; however, Egyptian television is still the most influential in the region.

Despite recent technological advances and changes in strategy, the financing of radio and television broadcasting will continue for some time to be a serious problem for the Egyptian government. Although the state recognizes the importance of the electronic media industry to the internal and external political success of egypt, funds to disseminate that industry's services have become increasingly scarce, especially as the educational and health needs of the country have grown more significant. It is obvious, then, that Egypt must continue to struggle and  compromise to find funds needed to continue National Broadcasting services.