there is being alhurra -- is the alhurra iraq radio station. we have a robust web site and a burgeoning social media organization. we consider ourselves to the multimedia. that is the direction we want to go in. >> what is your reach? >> it depends on how you define your reach. we currently reach with alhurra, about 26 american -- 26 million adults. that is a comparable number to the weekly number for npr is a point of comparison. radio sawa reaches approximately 12 million people. we have a combined total of about 35 million people watching either one of the two television or radio station's weekly. >> let's talk about -- one of the two television or radio stations weekly. >> let's talk about the arab spring. first let's look at some video. [speaking in arabic] >> that was from january 2011 in cairo. what are we watching here? >> this is a show meeting "today." it is a magazine show similar to the today show in this country. there were clashes in the studio between government and the demonstrators. it became quite violent. there were 26 or 27

we reach with alhurra about 26 million adults weekly, that's weekly. which is a very comparable number to npr for a comparison, and we have an unduplicated combined total of 35 million people watching either one of the two radio or watch the tv or listen to the radio weekly. >> host: well, let's talk a little bit about the arab spring, and we want to show video, and we'll show a little bit of video, and then we'll have you talk to this. this is from january 2010. [speaking arabic] [speaking arabic] >> host: that was from january 2011 in cairo. what are we watching here? >> guest: well, this is a broadcast from alhurra's studio in cairo from al youm, a similar far mat to the today show in this country, and it was demonstrations taking place in cairo that night, and there were clashes within the vicinity of the studio between government forces, security police, and the demonstrators. they became violent, and there were, i think, 26 or 27 deaths and a few policemen. in the midst of the demonstration, the police, security apparatus, stormed into our buildi

so -- >> host: in our discussions with alhurra and voa, they talked a lot about social media.s that available in cuba, and have you started to use it as well? >> guest: it is. it's limited. i don't want to say it's, you know, very limited. there are some bloggers, there are some facebook activity, there's twitter activity. we have found out about arrests and events through text messaging and twitter. so it's, they're using it more. there's still restrictions to get into the internet, it's still an issue. but what we try to do since we're a multimedia platform, we try to know that our radio listeners understand what a blogger is. because they need to understand that it's out there. they need to understand what, you know, facebook is, what twitter is. text messaging. so we have shows also where we teach our audience, look, this is how you tweet, this is how you send a text message to the outside world. so, you know, we're very active on the new media. >> host: and we have time for one more question. >> host: sure, i just -- how do you see the future of radio tv marti? numerous a

alhurra said this, alhurra said that.nd there's stories told to me by correspondents when the government gives a press conference they won't start the press conference until the alhurra cameras are there. so the iraq channel -- and it has a much larger viewing percentageship than the rest of the channel. it is a primary source of information in iraq. whereas pan-arab play as much different role. >> host: mr. conniff, are you required to present the official government's position on issues in iraq or across the middle east on alhurra? >> guest: no, there's no requirement. our -- our purpose, our mission, is describe journalistically the events of the day. there's nothing that says we have to present the american foreign policy. but that's a huge reason why we exist because people want to know, what is the american position? they want it explained. and they want to know how it came about. they want to know is it unified? do they want to know all those answers that they aren't getting from local media. so it's not a requirem

. >> host: alhurra and radio sawa, and thank you both for being on the communicators. >> guest: thank you for having me. .. next to hearing on the british phone-hacking scandal headed by lord justice leveson. during this inquiry witnesses testified reporters with the now defunct "news of the world" hack their phone conversations. they include parents of a 13-year-old girl who was murdered. author and columnist joan smith and later testimony from actor hugh grant who talks about his encounter with the "news of the world" reporter who he says abetted the tabloid was engaging in phone-hacking. this hearing is an hour and 45 minutes. >> before you begin to hear the evidence, may i just say a few words. we do think it is important that those who are here and those who will watch the proceedings clearly understand the procedure which the inquiry has laid down as being appropriate for this evidence under the inquiries act. we of course as have the other corporate disciplines have seen the witness statements of those who are going to be called this week and next week and it is right to say th