CNE (Cable Network Egypt), after a long and troubling trip through the startup tunnel, has now emerged into the proverbial light that beckons those still stuck in there. To fill in that success story and find out where CNE is going now that it is in the financial clear, Senior Editor S. Abdallah Schleifer interviewed Eng. Abdel Rahman Hafez, who is chairman of the boards of CNE, the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, and Egyptian Media Production City. The interview took place immediately after an extraordinary meeting of the CNE General Assembly late in October 2000 at which it was voted that CNE and its subsidiary NCN (Nile Communications Network) would reorganize to become part of Egypt's new Media Free Zone.

Part of CNE's success is undoubtedly thanks to MultiChoice Egypt, which handles marketing and subscriber services for CNE and has run over the past few years full-speed-ahead campaigns and package deals that are still a novelty in Egypt's fledgling private sector. Managing Editor Sarah Sullivan interviewed MultiChoice General Manager Khalid Abu Nuwar, who also sits on the CNE board of directors representing MultiChoice, about why understanding the market is key to pay-TV success.