First veiled news anchor appears on Egyptian TV

CAIRO - A veiled anchorwoman reading the news appeared on the Egyptian TV for the first time on Sunday upon a decision by the Egyptian Information Minister Salah Abdel Maqsud, the official news agency MENA reported.

Fatma Nabil appeared on the channel 1 midday broadcast, in the Muslim head cover. Other three anchorwomen will appear in Nile news channel, and weather forecast program, official news agency MENA reported.

Abdel Maqsud said, "Other veiled anchorwomen will appear on the Egyptian TV to activate the principle of equity in the media based on the spirit of January 25 revolution".

The minister's decision reflected a change in the media policy following the islamists reached the power, since it was forbidden for veiled women to appear on state TV during Mubarak's time.

The state's TV anchorwomen were transferred to desk works if they decided to wear the headscarves before the uprising last year. In many cases, the veiled anchor sued TV's Union, but Mubarak's Ministry of Information didn't even respond to the court decisions to approve the veiled women work in front of the camera.