Bassem Youssef producers end CBC contract

Al-Bernameg’s production company has decided to terminate its contract with CBC, the channel which hosted Bassem Youssef’s satirical show and suspended it from airing earlier this month, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

The company, Q-Soft, said in a statement it would take all legal measures against Future Group, which owns CBC, to obtain compensation for financial and moral losses.

“Over the past weeks, our company was silent and patient against an unjust campaign launched by Future Group against Al-Bernameg and its host and our company to pressure us and impose limitations on the show’s content,” the statement read, according to the newspaper.

Q-Soft said the campaign started with the first statement issued by CBC following Youssef’s comeback episode, distancing itself from the show.

CBC suspended Al-Bernameg on November 1, until "administrative and technical" problems are resolved, according to a statement from the channel. The statement said CBC’s board was surprised to find the content of that week’s episode in "violation of what had been agreed upon."

CBC also said the violations contained in the episode indicated “the persistence of the producer and the presenter in going against CBC’s editorial policy.”

Q-Soft said the ban was “unprecedented in the media field.”

“CBC embellished excuses such as not committing to its editorial policy and not submitting the agreed upon number of episodes and asking for more money to produce new episodes,” the statement read, denying all the aforementioned allegations.

“The decision to suspend the show reflects a negative image to the world about democracy and freedom of expression in Egypt after the June 30 revolution, especially after several Western media outlets expressed concern over this sudden attack on freedom of expression which tarnished Egypt’s image abroad,” the statement said.

In his much-anticipated comeback episode in late October, Youssef mocked ousted President Mohamed Morsi and those who still speak of his return, as well as the pro-military government and those who idolize the army, although he did not criticize military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directly.

Two days later, legal complaints began piling up against Youssef for insulting the military and employing sexual innuendos as well as spreading chaos and threatening security by "insulting the June 30 revolution.”