The amounts paid by the Lebanese state to save the station, although without heed to the decline in viewership, totaled USD 205 million distributed as follows: 

    USD 5 million to purchase 50% of the shares of the Télé Liban company in 1977.

    An increase of USD 944,000 in the company’s capital in 1988. 

    An increase of USD 5.7 million in the company’s capital in 1991.

    USD 11.6 million to purchase the remaining 50% of the shares of the Télé Liban company in 1995.

    An increase of USD 26 million in the company’s capital in 1995. 

    USD 21 million to improve transmission signals in 1994.

    USD 103 million for salaries and indemnities  between 1990 and 2015 

    USD 30 million for termination indemnities in 2001

    USD 13 million to pay off the debts owed by Télé Liban to the National Social Security Fund. 

    USD 2.5 million to pay off the debts owed by Télé Liban to the Beirut Municipality.

    USD 3.3 million to pay off the dues owed to the Ministry of Finance.

    USD 1.5 million to pay off the bills of electricity, water and telephone 

 

The total cost would thus amount to USD 205 million. Given the scarce revenues and the declining viewership of Télé Liban, this exorbitant amount begs the question of whether or not the reopening of the channel was a sensible decision, especially that the state could have pondered different ways to disseminate its own media such as buying broadcast hours on all the operating channels or it could have at least restructured Télé Liban in a manner guaranteed to bring in revenues to the Treasury. 

 

NB: The cost was converted into US dollars for ease of addition and we adopted the Lebanese Pound to US Dollar exchange rate that was in force at the time of disbursement.