Perhaps not unreasonable, however what enraged the locals was the first the US addressed itself solely to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and not to HACA, and only managed to do so one day before the expiry of the time allotted to present Sawa's contract terms and conditions.

Per the media reports in August, the tone was somewhat preemptory. Again, leaving aside the substance (does the bilateral make an exception from the national law with respect to registration and licensing with the HACA?), waiting to the last minute and failing to address the regulator strikes me as somewhat, well, stupid and unnecessarily clumsy. It appears the issue (per my private convo with some US diplos) resided in the US agency, the Broadcasting Board of Directors, failing to pay attention to the Moroccan requirements. That might be self-serving, however, as I am not immensely impressed with the quality of US diplos here over all (although it's clear higher standard ones are being rotated in - is that chance?).

No doubt some mixture of blame would be in order.

Regardless, this set off something of a little tiff in the local media about the US and Radio Sawa seeking to arrogantly be exempted from local law be treated differently from other Moroccan radio stations.

Worse, the contrast was easily made with the Franco-Maghrebine radio station, Médi 1, which managed to get itself in order without any problems at all.

I can well understand certain legal hesitations, but given how easily the Moroccans get put out when one doesn't follow their rules precisely, the last minute silliness was just plain incompetent.

Now the notice that reminded me of this from one of the business magazines (not online) conveys the situ:
"After having tried to give the HACA athe cold shoulder, the management of Radio Sawa came to their senses in regards to this situation. The governmental American radio, managed by the Lebanese, had prefered to communicate with the Foreign Ministry, finally understood that it could not, under any circumstances, win favorable treatment to the detriment of the body of Moroccan and Foreign operators in Morocco. According to these nitial indicators, everything is being put in place to resolve the legal status of this station as soon as possible."

In short, a rather silly and useful half-point own goal. I found the managed by the Lebanese comment amusing and peculiar.

Some of the business press on this, including on the last, the "capitulation notice":
http://www.lejournal-hebdo.com/article.php3?id_article=5188
http://www.leconomiste.com/article.html?a=64904
http://aujourdhui.ma/instantanes-details40371.html

Meanwhile it looks like things are on track for an explosive liberalisation come mid-2006 in Morocco.

ADDED:
I meant to note that reports indicate that something around sixty entities applied for radio broadcast licenses, and around 7 for TV broadcast. While one rather suspects the process will turn out to be less than ideal (as the emerging Moroccan scandal with respect to the 'transparent' tendering for long term leases of state agricultural lands suggests - local business press have commented sourly on the peculiar number of local politicians who have suddenly become agriculturalists and won leases), the next six months should see some interesting Morocco media developments (including, I am sure much senseless bickering).

I suppose I should admit that calling this a scandal descends to Arab News level of headline making. I'm bored, what can I say?