Over the past six years Transnational Broadcasting Studies has established itself, even as an e-journal, as the niche publication in the ever expanding field of Arab satellite broadcasting and has been greatly appreciated by both scholars and professionals. Ever increasing convergence of satellite, Internet, digital, and wireless technology means that transnational broadcasting is not a limited field of study but the wave of the future. Many scholars and professionals consider TBS indispensable as both a resource and a forum for discussion about satellite broadcasting in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

That appreciation is shared by the Middle East Centre, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford, which joins the Adham Center, American University in Cairo, as co-publisher of TBS.

In light of this new alliance, and in response to demand, particularly from young scholars who are increasingly orienting their research to "new media" in the Arab and Muslim worlds,TBS will produce a hard copy edition of the material carried in its e-journal format. The hard copy edition will appear one month after the electronic version, and most importantly, will include an Academic Papers section of peer-reviewed articles. By adding a peer-reviewed element to the journal TBS will augment the scholarly attraction of the journal. The new profile of the publication in its hard copy edition will retain the well-respected professional status of TBS, in addition to an enhanced academic profile. Abstracts from the peer-reviewed portion of the hard copy edition will appear in the e-journal and, we hope, will whet the appetite of many of our readers to subscribe to the enhanced hard copy edition or to order it for their university's library and bookstore.

Furthermore, this new development, which will be implemented starting with our next issue (TBS 14, Spring/Summer 2005), will signal to the broader academic community that TBS welcomes contributions from Middle East scholars who look at mass media in general and Arab and Muslim world broadcasting in particular from a variety of disciplinary perspectives including anthropology, sociology, history, political science and Arabic, Turkish, Persian and other language studies.

We are convinced that the association with St. Antony's and Oxford's Middle East Centre will raise the profile of the journal and help draw high-quality contributions to the both the refereed and other sections of the journal.

TBS already is essential reading for academics, professionals, researchers, and students studying the cultural, social, political, and economic impact of transnational broadcasting technologies in the Arab and Muslim worlds. That's why Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies writes, "TBS is unique. It thoroughly dominates its niche. It has no serious competition and is essential and required reading for anyone interested in satellite TV broadcasting to the Arab world." Fatema Mernissi wrote to us, "I consider you one of the most avant-garde information sources on the Arab media revolution" and Jon Anderson, one of the founders of The Arab Information Project at Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arabic Studies says, "For any scholar interested in the new Arab media, the coverage of Arab satellite broadcasting provided by TBS is of extraordinary value and greatly welcome."

The new print edition with its peer-reviewed academic section will build on this solid reputation while augmenting the journal's depth and broadening its scope. To this end we welcome contributions from Middle East scholars who look at mass media in general, and Arab satellite broadcasting in particular, from the perspective of the academic disciplines mentioned above.

Academic papers submitted for the hard-copy edition must be products of formal research or scholarship in the field of transnational broadcasting in the Arab and Muslim worlds. They will be peer reviewed by a new editorial board chaired by Dr. Walter Armbrust, director of the Middle East Centre at St.Antony's, Oxford, Albert Hourani Fellow in Modern Middle East Studies, and Lecturer, Modern Middle East Studies. Dr. Armbrust now serves as a senior editor of TBS.

The new TBS editorial board includes such international scholars as Dr. Hussein Y. Amin, chair of the department of Journalism and Mass Communication, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt; Dr. Jon Anderson, chair of the Department of Anthropology at The Catholic University, USA; Dr. Douglas A. Boyd, chief of staff, Office of the President and former Dean, School of Communication, University of Kentucky; Dr. Kai Hafez, University of Erfurt; Michael Hudson, director, Arab Information Project, Georgetown University; Dr.Saad Eddin Ibrahim, AUC, Egypt; Dr. Tarik Sabry, University of Westminster, UK; and Dr. Naomi Sakr, University of Westminster, U.K.

Papers to be considered for inclusion in this section should be no longer than 8,000 words and should be sent to Dr. Humphrey T. Davies, managing editor of TBS, along with an abstract no longer than half a page, at tbs@aucegypt.edu or at TBS, c/o The Adham Center (114), The American University in Cairo, 113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo 11511 Egypt.

For full submission details please email tbs@aucegypt.edu or visit tbsjournal.arabmediasociety.com and join us in making TBS a still greater resource and forum for both the academic and professional communities.

Prof. S. Abdallah Schleifer 
Director, The Adham Center
The American University in Cairo

Dr. Walter Armbrust
Director, Middle East Centre
St. Antony's College, University of Oxford