Ali Fodil: “Echorouk belongs to the people, we aren’t for sale and we’re paying the bill for our telling media success”

The Chairman and CEO of Echorouk group, Ali Fodil, has firmly denounced the campaign of ongoing denigration and destabilization, launched by plotting lobbies, among them some media professionals, dubbing them as “the enemies of success” who seek to harm Echorouk group and through him, all the Algerian society in its Arab-Muslim authenticity.

Taking the floor during the show “Prior to Iftar”, broadcast daily on Echorouk News during this holy month of Ramadhan, Ali Fodhil, denounced this fierce media campaign orchestrated against “Echorouk” by some of the written press, Arabic and French, as well as by some malevolent websites.

On the question of who was behind this destabilization campaign, he replied that this was not a new phenomenon. Indeed, Echorouk has been subject to recurrent attacks from some of its envious and hopeless colleagues starting from the creation of Echorouk el-Arabi in the 90’s, he asserted.

But what these frenzied foes could not swallow, he said, were the successful HD broadcasting programs launched of late by Echorouk TV.

“A first achievement in Algeria and the entire Arab Maghreb, Ali Fodhil underscored. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back, for these malicious-minded people”, he said.

Taking advantage of a warning from the Ministry of Communication against airing scenes of violence in the programs of “hidden cameras”, secret meetings involving shadowy circles were held to develop a strategy of systematic “destruction” of Echorouk group, he emphasized.

As for the mendacious rumors that the group is allegedly for sale because of debts that amount supposedly to 80 billion centimes, Ali Fodhil replied that it was just a groundless rumor spread desperately by some competing media outlets.

In this regard, he said that Echorouk is a viable economic entity and that it belongs to the people and that it is not for sale. As for Echorouk TV, he plans to involve partners, up to 40% to bring it fully into conformity with the relevant laws.

For the first time, Ali Fodhil talked figures, highlighting that ‘Echorouk’ from its founding stage to the present day has achieved manifold feats and successes due to hard and professional work. In 2014, sales accrued more than 250 billion centimes (DA), he revealed for that matter.

“All our profits are invested in Algeria, we do not buy property and restaurants in Paris, as some others have done, but we invest in Algeria for the creation of employment, proof is that we use 1000 people between journalists, technical and administrative staff”, Ali Fodhil indicated to this effect.

He also gave the reasons for this conspiracy fomented by a Franco-communist lobby, having a hand in the power establishment and overseas.

“How do you explain that a foreign ambassador dares to intervene with a minister of the Algerian Republic to defend two private newspapers, then make a report against the minister to whom the law dealing with the enemy country,” he said.

Ali Fodil also pointed out that Echorouk has paid a high price fighting the scourge of terrorism during the black decade during the 90’s, by losing 4 of its best “sons.” We also mounted the horrors committed by the “Daesh’ terror organization in a recent documentary film, he added.

As for this program guest’s personality that is seen as controversial, we do adopt or espouse his ideas. So why make a mountain out of a molehill? , he wondered.

Finally, the group’s Chairman and CEO said he did not want to argue about it and prefers to respond to the ill-advised critics and plotters through the unflagging work and the telling successes that “Echorouk” steadily generates.