New department at Ministry of Culture for licensing publications

DOHA: New sections to deal with licensing, publications, artistic works and broadcast media were established at the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, recently. This came as part of Resolution 154 for the year 2011 issued by H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, establishing sections in all the administration units of the ministry.

The Department of Press and Publications will have three sections- licensing, publications and artistic works. Licensing Section is concerned with issuance licenses those in the journalism field, issuing licenses for publications, press and printing houses, publishers, libraries, and registering journalists, publishers and printing house workers. The Department of Publications is concerned with censorship on publications which are presented to the state; prepare a register of publications, approval of the issuance and distribution of publications and the issuing of books and pamphlets. The Department of artistic works controls works locally and externally produced; keep files on private works of art; control over the foreign movies and the censorship of personal works received by state for personal use.

The Department of Communications will have Department of broadcast licenses, which is responsible for the procedures of granting licenses and operation of audio and video broadcasting facilities; and broadcast control section which will follow-up established licensing requirements, supervise and inspect broadcasters and re-transmission, control audio and video materials and control the rates and time of broadcast advertising.

Research Department consists of research and studies section and department of Cultural Publications. Research and studies section will look into research competence and cultural studies and translation of works of intellectual, literary excellence while the cultural publications department will deal with publishing and distribution of books by Qataris and Arabs in various fields, publication specialised magazines in various cultural domains and the selection of literary works.

Culture and Arts consists of the Department of cultural activities department that specialises in organising seminars, lectures, poetry readings; the department Department of theatrical activities which will establish theatre groups, document and archive the drama; the Department of popular arts and music which is concerned with the establishment of technical teams, popular music; Department of Visual Arts that specializes in organizing and activating the field technician in the visual arts; and Qatar National Theatre that will be concerned organising bookings for theatrical performances of the teams public and private institutions of production, whether local or a visitor and provide all internal services for the theatre.

Public Libraries department with its four sections will look into the supply and provide latest books and publications, classification and indexing of materials and save rare books and manuscripts. Other departments are youth centre management, Human resources, and Finance and administration.

The Peninsula