Télé Liban nominated for inclusion in UNESCO's 'Memory of the World' register

BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday welcomed the candidacy of Télé Liban's archives for UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register, describing the public broadcaster as a "national treasure" and a "cultural heritage" worthy of recognition and protection.

"From here emerged the voices that carried Lebanon’s civilizational message to the world," he said during the ceremony formalizing the channel’s candidacy, which was also attended by Information Minister Paul Morcos.

"The physical protection of the archive, its digitization, and its enhancement have been our main goal ... Télé Liban has returned to the spotlight and will regain its prominence," the minister added.

Morcos also emphasized the "qualitative progress on screen, both in sound and image quality," despite "ongoing challenges, multiple difficulties, and limited logistical resources," before commending the efforts of board chair Elissar Naddaf Geagea, who was appointed in July 2025, as well as the channel’s employees.

Founded in 1959 as the first public television station in the Arab world, Télé Liban preserves major audiovisual archives tracing Lebanon’s political, social and cultural history, some of which have already been digitized under a UNESCO-supported preservation program.