The General Organization of Radio and Television Syria (ORTAS) stands as the principal state broadcaster in Syria. Established in 1960, it operates from the capital, Damascus, and broadcasts programming in Arabic, English, and French. ORTAS remains the dominant audiovisual institution in the country, with its reach extending across national and international audiences through radio, terrestrial television, and satellite channels.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, ORTAS–owned outlets, including Syrian News Channel (Al‑Ikhbariyah Syria), temporarily ceased broadcasting amid the regime’s rapid fall. However, under the guidance of the new interim president Ahmed al‑Sharaa, the Syrian News Channel was relaunched on 5 May 2025, resuming satellite broadcasts via Nilesat and Es’hailsat.
Media assets
Television: Al-Ikhbariyah Syria, Nour El-Sham, Syria Drama
Radio: Radio Damascus
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
ORTAS is wholly owned and operated by the Syrian Ministry of Information, which exerts full control over its operations, strategic direction, and management. Decision-making authority rests with the Ministry, and the organization ultimately answers to the Council of Ministers, reinforcing its status as an arm of the Syrian government.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, ORTAS is now overseen by the Syrian transitional government, established on 29 March 2025 under President Ahmed al‑Sharaa.
Hamza al‑Mustafa was appointed Minister of Information in the new cabinet in March 2025, and is recognized as an independent figure with media management experience.
Source of funding and budget
Detailed financial data regarding ORTAS remains unavailable, as the Syrian authorities do not routinely disclose budgetary information for state-run institutions. However, based on interviews with Syrian journalists living in exile (conducted in May 2024), ORTAS was believed to be entirely financed by the Syrian state, with no indication of independent revenue streams such as commercial advertising or donor support.
After the collapse of the Assad regime, ORTAS remains entirely state-funded, with its revenue coming from the transitional government.
Editorial independence
ORTAS has historically operated under a strictly pro-government editorial line, with its content shaped by the directives and priorities of the ruling regime. According to Syrian journalists and media scholars based abroad, the broadcaster functioned as a propaganda vehicle, echoing the official discourse and avoiding dissenting or oppositional perspectives. Its journalistic output was therefore perceived by external observers as closely aligned with the political and ideological interests of the now collapsed Assad regime.
Following Assad’s fall, legal reforms and a new interim constitution include language guaranteeing freedom of the press. Some opening has occurred, such as allowing limited operations of independent outlets. Yet, media, including ORTAS, remains subject to strong governmental control. There are repeated reports of harassment, selective bans, and editorial oversight by interim authorities. There is no independent regulatory body to date.
Claims by government supporters of significant pluralism, transparency, and fully independent editorial shifts at ORTAS remain aspirational and not fully realized.
July 2025