The one big television hit in this part of the world recently has been the entertainment show "Star Academy" (something like American Idol) which is broadcast on the Lebanese Broadcasting Network or LBC. In Arabic, people like to joke by pronouncing the station’s initials elbasi (meaning "get dressed") because of the scantily dressed women who usually appear on LBC’s entertainment shows to target Saudi men.
Arab television tends mainly to copycat successful western shows; we have "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and other familiar reality TV. The news, of course, has enough drama to cover anyone else, including those looking for action programs or who find blood and death entertaining.
This year's Star Academy winner was an Iraqi woman, who won by a huge majority over the two remaining contestants. She seemed to have united all of Iraq behind her.
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