Iraq's Al-Sharqiyah TV programme highlights provincial affairs.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Al-Sharqiyah Television - 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 22-27 April produced the following:

In its 22 April episode, Al-Sharqiyah TV screens a one-minute-long picture of the daily life of a segment of people in an unidentified city, showing blacksmiths, tailors, and other workers in their workshops. A person in a marketplace is heard complaining about "the high prices of gas cylinders," saying that the price of one gas cylinder "is 6,000 dinars." A woman is also seen complaining about "the high prices of commodities," as well as people buying vegetables and other goods.

In its 23 April episode, Al-Sharqiyah camera travels to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, showing a number of street vendors and shop owners displaying their goods and encouraging people to buy them. The camera shows a …