Iraq: Al-Sharqiyah TV highlights Iraqi citizens' problems, views.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Baghdad Al-Sharqiyah Television in Arabic - Independent, private news and entertainment channel focusing on Iraq, run by Sa'd al-Bazzaz, publisher of the Arabic-language daily Al-Zaman - has been observed to carry the daily programme "The Diary of a City" at approximately 1010 gmt to highlight citizens' views and opinions on what is taking place in their cities and governorates.

A review of the programme between 1 and 24 September produced the following:

Al-Sharqiyah TV does not carry the programme on 1 and 2 September.

In its 3 September episode, Al-Sharqiyah TV crew travels to the Al-Musaqqaf marketplace in the city of Maysan, where barbers and tailors are seen working in their shops. The camera tours the marketplace showing shopkeepers displaying fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs inside or outside their shops, as well as a number of customers, mostly men, either inspecting the displayed goods or buying their needs.

One man in his thirties is heard complaining about "the lack of water and electricity and the low incomes of government employees," urging the government to amend the salaries and to improve services in the country and saying that he is unable to meet his family needs.

Al-Sharqiyah TV does not carry the programme on 4 September.

In its 5 September episode, Al-Sharqiyah TV's camera travels to Al-Sadr City in Baghdad, where a lot of people in a large tent extending condolences on the death of about 1,000 people in Al-Kazimiyah bridge incident. One man is seen saying: "We extend our condolences to the anticipated imam, the Islamic nation, and leader Muqtada al-Sadr on this disaster in which Iraqis demonstrated unity by making donations and extending condolences to this wronged, wounded people. We hope that with God's help, the Iraqis will close their ranks under the banner of there is no God but one God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God."

Another man in the tent points to another man sitting beside him and says: "This is the father of martyr Anwar Sabah Ibrahim, who was the sole supporter …