Libya
LIBYA is located in North Africa, to the west of Algeria, at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. A former French colony, it achieved its independence in XX.
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Population
When Doctor Who screened in Libya in 1968, the population was 1.5 million, and licensed TV sets numbered XXXXXXXXXXX (per WRTH, XXX).
TV & system
Libya began its television service in 1968.
There is just one television station: Libyan Broadcasting & TV Service, a government-owned commercial broadcaster.
Colour transmissions began in 1976 using the PAL colour broadcast system.
Language/s
The main languages of Libya are Arabic and French. Television was broadcast in both languages. English newspapers, however, were also published in Tripoli.
DOCTOR WHO IN LIBYA
Libya was the 32nd country to screen Doctor Who; it was the 11th in Africa, and the fifth to broadcast the Arabic language versions (see Selling Doctor Who).
BBC Records
Libya is not recorded in the The Seventies list from 1977; nor is it named in any of the DWM story Archives.
Libya is, however, named in The Making of Doctor Who (1972 edition).
Morocco was the previous Arabic speaking country in Africa to screen the series – well over a year earlier - so it's possible that Libya was sent the same set of prints shortly after transmission in Morocco.
Stories bought and broadcast
WILLIAM HARTNELL
While it is unknown for sure which stories aired, it is more than likely that Libya got the standard package of nine stories, 37 episodes:
| A | An Unearthly Child | 1 |
| B | The Daleks | 7 |
| C | Inside the Spaceship | 2 |
| E | The Keys of Marinus | 6 |
| F | The Aztecs | 4 |
| G | The Sensorites | 6 |
| J | Planet of Giants | 3 |
| K | The Dalek Invasion of Earth | 6 |
| L | The Rescue | 2 |
Libya appears to have acquired the standard Arabic package of GROUP A, B and C of the William Hartnell stories; like other Arabic countries, only part one of An Unearthly Child aired.
The programme was supplied as 16mm black and white film prints with Arabic soundtracks.
Transmission
WILLIAM HARTNELL
No TV listings have been found – yet.
TV listings
No TV listings have been obtained – yet. The Libyan Times, and English language from Tripoli, were accessed; these went as far as 15 January 1972, but there were no listings for Doctor Who.
The majority of programmes that aired were American.
Fate of the Prints
The next Arabic and African country to air Doctor Who was Algeria, in 1973/74. It is therefore possible that Libya sent its prints of the Arabic dubbed Hartnell stories to Algeria (which was the last ever country to purchase that package of episodes.
Libya in Doctor Who
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References
