May 18, 2008 -- Minister of Communication Abderrachid Boukerzaza has promised to broadcast the call to prayer on all terrestrial and satellite TV stations including Algeria 3, Canal Algerie and national radio stations without exception beginning from June of this year. He guaranteed that this would be a continuous measure.

Responding to a written question submitted by members of parliament concerning the discontinuation of the broadcast of the call to prayer on the two satellite stations, the minister of communication said that the call to prayer will be broadcast on all the television and radio stations starting from next month to coincide with the start of the summer programming.

The minister affirmed that officials in these media organizations will be made to broadcast the call to prayer at its specified time regardless of the circumstances or the programme that happens to be on air.

According to the minister, this decision comes as an implementation of the charter for television and radio broadcasting which has religious and cultural provisions. He said that the discontinuation of the broadcast of the call to prayer was because the channels in questions were aimed at an audience outside Algeria.

Several parliamentary blocs had protested with the Ministry of Communication over television and radio officials not respecting a presidential decree after the broadcast of the call to prayer was discontinued twice within three years.