Britain and the US beam 'Freedom TV' into Iraqi homes

George Bush and Tony Blair broadcast directly to the Iraqi people last night via a new television channel set up by US and British forces.

"Towards Freedom TV", was beamed from a specially-equipped American aircraft as it flew over Iraq. It will transmit five hours of programming – spoken in Arabic or subtitled – every day, carrying everything from news bulletins,information about water supplies to arts features.

It got off to an inauspicious start when power cuts in Baghdad ensured no signal was received for the first broadcast of statements recorded by Mr Bush and Mr Blair. Broadcasts went out successfully last night.

Responding to criticism that the project would deliver US propaganda, Downing Street said last night that editorial guidelines had been issued to ensure balance. "It will feature reconstruction and humanitarian issues as well as the progress of the campaign," Mr Blair's official spokesman said. Issues which will be "of some difficulty to the coalition" will be aired, he said. "I think that issues such as civilian casualties will be addressed. The idea is to present a balanced picture."

Britain will spend £10,000 a day making one hour of programming. The remaining hours will be the responsibility of the US. Its footage will include subtitled re-runs of press briefings in Qatar.

The first programme included a review of the British press and of a newly independent regional newspaper based in Basra. It also screened an interview with Laith Kubba, of the Iraqi National Group, and reported on last week's meeting between Mr Blair and Iraqi exiles in Downing Street. The content is agreed by the British and US military, some Iraqis in Iraq and a "sounding board" of Iraqi exiles in London.

Mr Blair and President Bushboth promised "a new and better future" for the Iraqi people. Mr Blair sought to reassure the Iraqi people that US and British forces would not retreat and leave them at the mercy of Saddam Hussein, as happened in 1991. He promised humanitarian help and pledged that "the money from Iraqi oil will be yours". President Bush said American forces would "not stop until President Saddam's corrupt gang was gone. The government of Iraq, and the future of your country, will soon belong to you."

Under President Saddam, satellite dishes were banned and the only terrestrial television was state programming usually featuring "patriotic" songs and addresses or statements by the Iraqi leader.

Last weekend, said Downing Street, Iraqi television's seven-and-a-half hours of programming consisted of 62 patriotic songs, 56 items on regime activities, and nine statements on behalf of President Saddam.

World Television, a British firm in London, will provide the programming, which will be sent each evening by satellite to the US 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The content is then re-transmitted by satellite to Qatar, recorded and loaded into a video machine on the aircraft.

Paul Marsden, Liberal Democrat MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said yesterday: "I think Iraqi civilians really will not be impressed with replacing the Six O'Clock News with Saddam with the Ten O'Clock News with Tony."