Bassem Youssef’s production company in legal wrangle

The private Egyptian channel that hosted Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef’s program, al-Bernameg, decided to terminate the show due to problems with Qsoft, its production company, the channel’s chairman told Al Arabiya News.

Mohamed al-Amin, chairman of the CBC satellite channels, said that it has now began legal proceedings against production company Qsoft.

Al-Amin explained that while he bore no ill-will towards Bassem Youssef, problems with el-Bernameg stemmed from Qsoft’s obligations towards CBC.

He said out that they exchanged views in the negotiation session but failed to find financial solutions to the problems that recently erupted between both sides.

The recent series of the show was cancelled after its second episode. Al-Amin said that if it was legally permissible to broadcast the episode, he will order it to be broadcasted on the CBC Channel, but added that he wished to make sure that there is no legal problems related to the second episode and its affiliation to the channel or the production company.

No offensive content

The executive stressed that the second episode does not contain offensive content and that there is no reason for banning it except for trade problems.

However, CBC Satellite Channels’ legal advisor Taher al-Khawli stated that there is no more room for negotiations after the company’s decision to terminate the contract.

The legal advisor said that the channel received a recent request from Qsoft.

Youssef’s program has often caused controversy, making him the target of many legal complaints. Authorities have already investigated him after this series' first episode on charges of insulting the country's military leaders and disrupting public order.