What happened in the past week between Sheikh Pierre el Daher and Dr. Geagea was expected to occur but not in such a dramatic way. For those who are aware of what the LBC went through in the past 11 years and the achievements it did despite the political pressure, you can understand Daher’s position on keeping LBC as it is and not turning it into an LF TV.
First of all, this is the 3rd or 4th time Hakim gets into a dispute with ‘Pierrot’. Back in 1988 Daher left LBC and went to Arab countries for almost a year before coming back in 89. Later in 93, another dispute happened between Hakim and Daher.
LBC started as an LF TV founded by Sheikh Bashir Gemayel that quoted:
“أريد تلفزيون “حيللا” بل اريده تلفزيون يعبر بكل صدق عن القضية ، ويكون جهازاً اعلامياً صادقاً مئة في المئة ، فنحن لا نريد أن نحجب الحقيقة عن أحد ، بل نتوخى جهازاً إعلامياً منفتحاً على الجميع ، وفي حرية كاملة حتى ولو أدَى ذلك الى أن يهاجمنا البعض”. “
Bachir wanted a TV station back then to advocate our cause to the world, but he also wanted an organization capable of transmitting Lebanon’s image to the world too, same for Hakim who always thought futuristically.
We cannot accept LBC to step backwards and restart as an LF station, Hakim should not accept that. Pierre el Daher did an outstanding job regardless of the political links he made to keep his TV going, and I truly believe the outcome was worth it.
LBC built itself a media empire in the Arab world and has become a professional station on all levels. It’s more than natural for Daher to refute any idea of using it as an LF tool and ruin 21 years of hard work and commitment.
Some might say LBC belongs to the LF legally, but from what I know Pierre and Hakim had an agreement before he went to jail and from what Al-Massira published this week, Pierre did not violate this agreement and gave the LF what it asked for.
Honestly, I believe there is a problem with the staff around Hakim who wanna take control of everything in undiplomatic ways and labeling people who do not communicate. That was published in Annahar that Pierre el Daher was frustrated from the ‘traitor’ labeling he was hearing from Hakim’s surrounding and the same has happened with Massira and official sites for the LF. This is unacceptable and Hakim must ‘clean’ his surrounding for good and replace incompetents with respectful honest and professional people.
I dont believe people such as Pierre el Daher and Viviane Saliba are materialistic people and only care about gaining more money, those people have sacrified their lifes working for the institutions the LF founded and appointed them in charge of them and have done their work to perfection and gained everyone’s admiration and respect.
LBC existed because of the LF but LBC would have never become what it is without Pierre el Daher, neither the LF without Hakim, therefore the same way Hakim would not tolerate old LFers doubting his leadership, Pierre el Daher would not accept people telling him to step off.