Ayman Nour announces Elsharq TV shutdown

Egyptian politician and former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, owner of Elsharq TV, has announced the suspension of the channel’s broadcasts following a worsening financial and operational crisis that has hit its advertising and digital revenues. He said the channel could return in 2027 in a smaller format with lower operating costs.

The announcement came in a statement read by Elsharq presenter Ahmed Atwan on Tuesday evening. Nour said the channel was facing a new financial and operational crisis, following several similar episodes since it launched nearly 13 years ago. He said the organization had become accustomed to operating under difficult financial conditions, securing funding month by month and sometimes day by day.

In the statement, Nour said the channel had maintained its independence despite these challenges, describing it as a “free Egyptian channel owned by Egyptians.” He attributed its financial difficulties to the fact that it was “not affiliated with a state, group or security agency, and does not operate under the patronage of a businessman.” He added that more than 300 Egyptians had supported the project since its launch, believing in its importance and the need to keep it running.

Nour attributed the worsening crisis to declining digital revenues, including income from platforms such as YouTube, particularly since the Gaza war. He also cited a drop in advertising revenue since 2023, which he blamed on “pressure and communications targeting the channel’s advertisers and sponsors.” The impact, he said, intensified in 2026.

The statement recalled earlier financial crises dating back to the channel’s launch on April 25, 2014. Elsharq suspended broadcasts in March 2015 for financial reasons before resuming in August that year. It suspended broadcasts again, resuming on Sept. 1, 2015.

Nour said the current crisis had prompted some parties to rush to declare the channel dead, as they had during previous suspensions. He stressed, however, that halting broadcasts did not necessarily mean the end of the media project.

The channel would not appeal to its audience for further donations, Nour said, citing the economic difficulties facing Egyptians. He also pledged to protect employees’ rights and settle their outstanding dues in an orderly manner.

The statement left open the possibility of a temporary suspension or a relaunch on a smaller scale with lower operating costs. Nour stressed that ending broadcasts would not mean abandoning the idea or the project, and said a return remained possible, potentially in 2027.

Nour concluded by reaffirming his commitment to keeping the project alive. “Do not rush to celebrate our misfortune. What looks like the end may be no more than a pause in a much longer story,” he said.

Elsharq was established in April 2014 and based its broadcasting operations in Istanbul, Turkey. Egyptian politician Ayman Nour served as its chairman and owner. The channel presented itself as an independent Egyptian media platform broadcasting from abroad, with political coverage and programming focused on criticizing the Egyptian government.

The channel faced accusations from Egyptian authorities of “publishing false news and inciting violence against state institutions.” Its website was also blocked in Egypt. In December 2019, the Administrative Court upheld the blocking decision in a case filed by Nour seeking to overturn it.

Throughout its operation, Elsharq was also affected by tensions in Egyptian-Turkish relations that began in 2013, when Turkey hosted Egyptian opposition figures and allowed several Egyptian television channels and media platforms, including Elsharq, Mekameleen and Watan, to operate from its territory.

These channels became a source of friction between Cairo and Ankara. Egypt called on Turkey to change its policies toward the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian opposition figures living in Turkey, including by addressing the activities of media platforms critical of the Egyptian authorities.

As the two countries began moving toward rapprochement in 2020 and 2021, the first effects on these channels became apparent in March 2021. Turkish officials asked the management of Elsharq, Mekameleen and Watan to suspend some political programs, or change their editorial tone and refrain from attacking the Egyptian authorities.

At the time, Reuters quoted Nour as saying that Turkish officials had asked the channels to maintain objectivity and refrain from attacking or criticizing individuals. Turkish sources said the move was part of an understanding between Cairo and Ankara aimed at reducing media-related tensions.

Nour denied at the time that Turkish authorities had asked the channels to shut down or deport their employees, but acknowledged that discussions had taken place about changing their editorial approach. Cairo, meanwhile, viewed the move as a positive sign that Ankara was responding to some of its demands over media coverage.

The rapprochement continued, culminating in the two countries’ announcement in July 2023 that they would restore diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level after years of reduced representation. Media reports at the time said the status of opposition channels and figures associated with the Muslim Brotherhood had been among the issues discussed in consultations between the two sides. Suspending some channels or changing their operations was reportedly part of broader understandings.