The General Authority for Radio and Television (GART) () is theÃÂ public broadcasterÃÂ inÃÂ SyriaÃÂ and reports to the Ministry of Information.
It was previously known as the General Organization of Radio and TV (), also known in French as Organisation de la Radio et la Télévision Arabe Syrienne (in short ORTAS).àEarlier names wereàRadio and Television (RTV Syria)àandàSyrian Radio & Television (SRT). For much of its existence, the organization was the Assad regime's propaganda tool until it was taken over by opposition groups in December 2024 amidst the fall of Damascus.
Several television channels and radio stations are being run by this organization, including Syria TV and Radio Damascus. GART is an active member of theÃÂ Arab States Broadcasting UnionÃÂ (ASBU), associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and formerly a member of International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT).
The legal basis is a legislative decree from 2010,àwhich, however, was largely not implemented. Sà «mar Wassà «f became head of the commission in December 2018.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, the television company has undergone reconstruction, and its programs have been suspended since December 2024, with a projected resumption in 2026.
The General Authority for Radio and Television is the governmental body responsible for radio and television broadcasting in Syria. It is divided into two parts:
RadioÃÂ broadcasting began in theÃÂ First SyrianÃÂ RepublicÃÂ upon its independence on 17 April 1946 onÃÂ shortwave.ÃÂ As early as 1942, Radio Damas, a counterpart to Radio Levant in Beirut, Lebanon existed in theÃÂ FrenchÃÂ LeagueÃÂ ofÃÂ NationsÃÂ mandate.
Nationwide radio programs include:
Former radio station:
Regional radio programs are (from north to south):
The internationalÃÂ broadcaster Radio DamascusÃÂ has existed since 1947. According to the frequency announcements in the program, both FM (VHF) and AM (medium wave) are broadcast.
The television station is based in Damascus, Syria since July 1960. The channel airs programmes in Arabic and English. Its first channel, Channel 1, was broadcasting in black and white until 1978.ÃÂ A second channel was added in 1985 (discontinued in 2012 due to theÃÂ civil war) and in 1996, the satellite serviceÃÂ Syria TV began broadcasting. On 5 September 2012, Syrian Television channel broadcasts were broken off on Arabsat and Nilesat, including Syria TV. Syria TV and Syrian Drama TV broadcasts were stopped on Hot Bird on 22 October 2012.
The digital television switchover (DVB-T) in Syria has been restarted since mid-2018, in the provinces of Damascus, Daraa, As Suwayda, Rif Dimashq, Tartus, Latakia, Quneitra and Hama, however there is still no date for an analog switch off.
GART national and satellite television channels:
Former channels include Syrian Medical TV and Talaqie TV which both closed in 2016; terrestrial channels Channel 2 and Channel 1 (now Syrian Local Channel) closed down in 2012.