London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Palestinian Minster of Information has reveled to Asharq Al-Awsat that his government is deliberating the idea of launching a new satellite TV station, which will be directly answerable to Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyya.

Although the decision has not been formally announced, Minister of Information Yousif Rizqa told Asharq Al-Awsat, "serious discussions are being conducted in this regard."

When Hamas won the January 2006 elections, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud 'Abbas placed the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) in the control of his own office.

"After the PBC was subjected to chairman 'Abbas, it became an acute necessity to have alternative media outlets, mainly a Hamas-affiliated satellite TV station," said Rizqa.

Sources at the Ministry of Information who spoke to Asharq al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity stressed that the reasons this has become a primary issue is that official media outlets are contradicting government policy and are projecting an inaccurate picture of Palestinian society.