Alameh’s lawyer, Jean Qiqano, sent a letter of warning which also stipulated that the station cannot air old or new material.
The warning also states that the office of Alameh requests an “immediate ceasing of all coverage of the client (Alameh).”
“We also maintain the right of our client to take any action against LBCI, in case the station violates the singer’s request,” stated the letter.
In a telephone interview with the ‘Al Sharq El Awsat’ newspaper, LBCI’s CEO, Pierre Daher, said that he had been informed of the warning and does not want to comment on the matter.
As for the request itself, Daher said that he “would like to consult the lawyer on the station’s rights with Ragheb Alameh, since our professional relationship is based on signed contracts and so, this matter depends solely on the law.”
Daher also commented on Ragheb’s behavior saying that “Ragheb wants to stay in the limelight no matter what the cost, I think this matter is quite small.”
However, the singer had something else to say.
“I have already met with Pierre Daher, who asked me for a signed protocol agreement with the station.”
The singer stated that he had refused the deal because the contract “aims at limiting my work and prohibiting it from being aired on different channels.”
Added Alameh, “then I found out that they had taken some sort of a stand against me and are adamant on airing my older songs alongside the newer and more modern songs of other artists. I realized that this ruins my image and affects my artistic stature. This is why we filed a warning against the station.”
However, the singer said “the problem is not only related to one music video or another, it is a principal stand against the policies of LBCI towards artists. For example, they are more than willing to place an unknown star at the top of their lineup only because he or she signed an exclusivity agreement with them.”
The singer also stated that the actions of LBCI go against the Geneva Agreement, which gave artists the right to their work, even after the financial rights have been transferred to another party.
Meanwhile, the actor warned that if LBCI does not comply with his letter, he is more than willing and ready to file an official lawsuit – Albawaba.com.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
