Egyptian court orders belly dancing TV station off the air

2/17/13

A judge deemed advertisements for sexual enhancement products and matchmaking firms offensive and too provocative.

CAIRO — A court in Egypt ordered a TV channel that airs belly dancing clips off the air for showing "sexually explicit" content and operating without a broadcast license.

The judge Saturday said ElTet airs ads that are "offensive" and can "arouse" viewers. The station carries advertisements for sexual enhancement products and matchmaking services. It is broadcast out of a Cairo apartment that airs videos 24 hours a day of scantily clad belly dancers giving sultry performances to music.

The satellite channel's owner, Baligh Hamdy, was briefly arrested last year and accused of facilitating prostitution.

Meanwhile, another court upheld a decision Saturday to keep religious channel al-Hafez off the air for 30 days for slandering an Egyptian actress over her views in support of the former regime.

——

MSN News on Facebook and Twitter

Stay up to date on breaking news and current events.

Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/news.msn

Fifteen-year-old Michael Westley, who died Sunday, was the youngest victim in a series of shootings that left more than three dozen other people wounded.