INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

The Dialectic of Relationship and Future Vision
(The Lebanese Radio & Television as a Model)

Introduction
The relationship between knowledge and the economy has existed since the dawn of human history, with the development of human society closely linked to the advancement of knowledge on multiple levels.
Information is one of the most essential and indispensable elements of daily life. Consequently, the information sector is experiencing global growth, fueled by technological advancements and rapid internet access. The economy is shifting from an industrial-based model to an information-driven one, with production moving from goods to information, giving rise to what is now known as the “knowledge economy.
In light of this reality, Lebanese radio and television are moving towards producing a variety of unique content, despite significant challenges arising from the deteriorating economic situation. It is now possible to speak of integrated production units between television and radio, as well as across all sectors related to knowledge production, including computer programming companies, firms specializing in website design and smartphone applications, advertising agencies, and software development companies of all kinds.
The reality of Lebanese radio and television, along with their financial challenges and efforts to integrate into the knowledge economy, raises the following research problem: Are Lebanese radio and television responding to the requirements of the knowledge economy by digitizing their media content and selling it as a digital commodity to overcome these challenges?
To reach clear conclusions about the challenges facing the Lebanese radio & television content industry, the study is based on the following research questions:
1- How does Lebanon’s expertise in website design and smartphone applications, related to information technology and digital content production for audiovisual media, contribute to its integration into the knowledge economy?
2- What are the challenges confronting the Lebanese digital audiovisual media content industry that hinder the adoption of paid subscriptions on websites and smartphone applications?
3- What difficulties exist in enforcing judicial and legal provisions related to intellectual property rights in audiovisual media production, (including authorship, publishing, and digitization)?
4- What are the government incentives (financial and administrative) that encourage the media sector (audiovisual) and other institutions in the sample to enter the world of the knowledge economy?
5- What are the underlying causes of the weakness in the information and communication infrastructure for broadcasting, research, and communication in Lebanon?

Part I
I- The Information Technology Industry and Its Concepts
The Internet community has become “a reality with its own distinct culture, values, and language, reaching all segments of society, particularly the youth. It contributes to economic growth, creates job opportunities, and provides new sources of income through the production of competitive knowledge products. These products are characterized by their innovation, diversity, and added value, and are marketed through websites."¹
The Internet is considered the cornerstone of the modern or digital economy, and all jobs and businesses, especially media jobs, depend on it. The technology sector in Lebanon has provided a beacon of hope for economic growth.
A dialectical relationship has emerged between the economy and the knowledge (information) industry, shaped by creativity and innovation. This is an economic process managed by public and private institutions, telecommunications companies, media organizations, and hardware, software, and computer manufacturers. This process contributes to increasing the growth rate of these institutions and the gross domestic product (GDP) of their countries.

II- The Information Industry in the World and Envisioning Future Prospects
Information is considered a commodity like any other, but it has its unique characteristics. Assert that, the history of the information industry dates back to the 1960s, specifically 1960. However, in the early 1990s, the concept of this industry evolved, and information technology became largely limited to business applications. Official work in this field began with LexisNexis through Mead, a paper-based interactive organization, which was regarded as the primary player in providing information (reports and services)."²
The world today is witnessing "the emergence of a new civilization in which digital technologies are a cause of cultural transformation and the foundation of a new era in which digital information is the lifeblood."³ From this perspective, the media tends to aggregate diverse commodity products with a certain specificity. It is now possible to speak of production units between television and radio, and all sectors related to knowledge production, such as computer programming companies, smart applications, advertising agencies, and software production companies of all kinds.
Digital content refers to all information or knowledge materials, whether textual, audio, or visual, in forms or even programs, available on the internet.
The term "information industry" is often used interchangeably with the term "knowledge industry." It comprises five main sections:
• Education.
• Research and development.
• Media and communication.
• Information machines.
• Information services.

In the same vein, China, India, and South Korea are examples of countries that have taken the development of their economies—and the information industry in particular—very seriously. The Republic of Korea, for example, has become a model of successful economic development. Between 1970 and 2013, per capita GDP grew from US$255 to US$255,976.⁴ 
What do some information scientists say about this industry?
Some information scientists and economists in both the Arab and Western worlds have documented their positions on the information industry and clarified their perspectives on this concept.
In his discussion of the information industry in China, Liu Zhaodong argues that the scope of this term can be defined to include comprehensive production activities and infrastructure, such as research, development, and IT applications, as well as information services geared toward economic development. Zhaodong divides the information industry into two major categories:
- The first category includes all activities related to information technology and its associated industries, such as computer technology, communications, multimedia, audiovisual media, microphotography, and electronic publishing.
- The second category —information services—covers both traditional services that rely on printed materials and electronic services, including accounting and information processing, database development, software production, and electronic publications5. Some definitions define the information industry, dividing it into three main categories, as follows:
1- The information content industry: Public and private sector organizations produce information content. The customer base begins with writers and creators, who then sell their productions to publishers, broadcasters, distributors, and production companies.
2- The information delivery industry: This industry is concerned with the broadcasting, delivery, or transmission of information through the establishment of long-distance telecommunications companies, cable, satellite, television, networks, radio and television stations.
3- Consumers of broadcast media are not potential competitors with one another in the same way they might compete for a coat or a house, for example. Consequently, price mechanisms cannot match supply and demand for radio or television broadcasts as they do for other goods, and viewers with the necessary broadcasting equipment cannot be prevented from hearing or watching free broadcasts. In the case of material goods, there is a moment of exchange in which consumers express their preferences through payment.⁶

III- The Arab Digital Media Content Industry
The ESCWA study indicates that Arabic digital content is any content in digital form on the internet, on CDs, DVDs, or other formats, in the Arabic language. Arabic digital content includes websites, portals, electronic services, audio and video content, and the Arabic language. It also includes Arabized software interfaces, such as word processing software, speech and writing recognition software, databases⁷…
The "Founding Report on Arabic Digital Content - (Reality - Implications - Challenges) considers that "content is the basic 'raw material,' formed from data and information interconnected as a single fabric, upon which the mind of society and its decision-making centers depend".⁸
This basic informational raw material consists of shared societal content, encompassing the full details of the lives of individuals and groups within a society. It can be divided as follows:
1- Educational content: This relates to educational and academic curricula...
2- Scientific and research content: This includes information related to academic and scientific research, development activities, innovation, and invention.
3- Cultural content: This includes various types of information and productions specific to cultural and intellectual elites.
4- Political and legal content: This relates to information and data specific to the political elites in society.
5- Social content: This includes information related to the structure of society, its social and applied composition, and the civil society movement.
6- Media and communication content: This includes the issues addressed by various media institutions, including newspapers, magazines, television channels, websites, new media sites, and social networks.
7- Economic and Service Content: This includes various types of economic and service information...
8- Military and Security Content: This includes all information related to security and military institutions, including their organizational structures and strategies...⁹
This study focuses on digital media content, specifically digital content for television and radio.
The Arab digital content industry presents vast investment opportunities, particularly given the presence of more than 300 million Arab citizens in the region, in addition to Arab expatriates worldwide. 
(Founding Report on Arab Digital Content - Reality - Implications - Challenges) that "4.6% of the content is produced by five percent of the channels, meaning that the activity coefficient registers a negative 0.4 points” ¹⁰
In light of what we have presented, the study must clarify the status of Arabic digital content across Arab countries. The Arab Digital Content Gap: ESCWA indicates that (The Arab Digital Content Industry - Think Digitally? Innovate Arab, 2012) "The Internet has become, in our time, an effective means of supporting the process of social and economic development. This network has expanded and its uses have diversified to the point that it has become the most comprehensive repository of knowledge and information, and one of the most important resources for providing tools that contribute to improving society's quality of life”.
On the other hand, "there is a miscalculation at the level of Arab national responsibility regarding the importance of the availability of Arabic digital content for Arab culture and Arab scientific research on the Internet. It is minimal, with the percentage reaching less than one percent of the level of Arabic digital content on the Internet."¹¹ And "when we talk about the digital divide, the concept of the knowledge economy immediately comes to mind”.¹²

IV- Initiatives Addressing Arabic Content
There is regional Arab cooperation in the field of Arabic digital content. This cooperation includes research and development on topics related to the digital processing of the Arabic language, as well as the development of software tailored to its specific needs. In this context, several initiatives addressing Arabic digital content have been launched, as follows:

1- Most national initiatives in this field take the form of awards with limited objectives, including:
• Qatar: A strategic partnership between Yahoo and ictQatar to develop digital content.
• Kuwait: The annual Kuwait e-Award to enrich e-content.
• Bahrain: The annual Bahrain e-Content Award.
• United Arab Emirates: The Sawaed Program to support and develop innovative projects in the field of Arabic content
• The Sultanate of Oman: The "Digital Oman Award," which aims to recognize outstanding performance in providing e-government services.
• Egypt: The Arabic Digital Content Initiative to enrich Arabic content in all its forms.
• Limited projects in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and other Arab countries.

2- Regional initiatives with broad objectives, including:
The ESCWA initiative, launched in 2003, partners with Arab technology incubators and organizes specialized workshops and conferences…

3- Non-commercial scientific and research initiatives, the most prominent of which are as follows:
• Ongoing digitization projects at the Alexandria Library in Egypt
• Qatar National Library
• Saudi Digital Library... etc.
• Projects outside the Arab world, at Princeton University and the University of Michigan...¹³

4- Arab and Western commercial initiatives
• Digitization projects undertaken by some Arab digital publishers (Al-Manhal, Al-Ma'rifah, Dar Al-Manzomah, Ask Zad, etc.)
• A group of legal publishing houses and relevant institutions, such as Eastlaw.
• Western publishers are digitizing Arabic documents and putting them into commercial knowledge circulation, such as GALE (Bashir, 2015)¹⁴.
 

V- Digital Information: The Most Precious Commodity
This is the age of massive information flow, the age of creative industry and innovation asserts "information can be distributed infinitely in the digital world, without this finishing the share of its owner. Thus, it transforms into a new kind of industry”.¹⁵
“One current marketing strategy involves the engagement of online influencers, also known as Internet celebrities”.¹⁶
One current marketing strategy involves the engagement of online influencers, also known as Internet celebrities. the Arab world suffers from a "huge digital divide".¹⁷
The capabilities and skills "that Arab citizens possess across the broader Arab world constitute a fundamental pillar for determining their ability to join the ranks of digital citizens and strengthen their sense of belonging to them".¹⁸
After a brief overview of the global information industry, it is necessary to examine its reality in Lebanon. The information technology sector in Lebanon has been shown to grow steadily, with its market size reaching approximately USD 436 million in 2016. This figure was projected to grow at a rate of 9.7 percent by 2019, bringing the market size to USD 543.3 million.
The ICT sector in Lebanon comprises approximately 800 companies, most of which are small and medium-sized. Software and services companies employ a total of approximately 5,000 highly skilled individuals, with demand for ICT skills increasing significantly annually (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon.¹⁹
Despite "the difficult economic conditions, more than 500 internet-based companies operating in Lebanon have contributed to the creation of 7,000 jobs and achieved a growth rate of 20 percent annually".²⁰
The fields of work within this sector are diverse in Lebanon and rank among the fastest-growing globally. They include:
- Content development.
- Mobile and smartphone applications.
- Specialized applications.
- Mobile and internet games.
- Website development.
- Electronic services.
- Providing services related to the software industry.
- Lebanese Digital Content

According to its latest report on Arabic digital content, “Lebanese content ranks twelfth among content from all Arab countries.”.²¹
Lebanese content is diverse and multifaceted, but it may not reach the level available in many other non-Arab contents. It takes many forms, including (text, images, audio, video, animation, maps, electronic applications, programs, and advertising), and this content is used for several functions.Hence, as noted by researchers and observers at the Arab World Connecting Summit, ”Lebanese content is not only scarce but also weak in terms of quality and value, with the exception of a few serious websites.”
 

VI-  Knowledge-Based Economy
The knowledge and information society is characterized by several characteristics, such that information is used extensively as an economic facet.

1- Knowledge-based Economy and the Information Industry
A knowledge economy is an economy based on the use of knowledge as a primary tool for generating new economic benefits. It is the opposite of industrial economies. Knowledge economies focus on intangibles such as information rather than raw materials. knowledge.²² 
Knowledge and innovation are the foundation and driving force that drive economic growth and support economic competitiveness. "the knowledge economy dominates the economies of countries because of the rapid and high growth it achieves in societies".²³

2- The Historical Development of Knowledge
Knowledge has accompanied humanity since its awareness blossomed and its perceptions expanded.
A brief overview of the three major transformations in human society, which reflect the extent of knowledge development at each stage, is as follows:
a- Transformation: Represented by the establishment of settled agriculture, which emerged in the basins of major rivers, such as the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates.
b- Transformation: Represented by the advent of the First Industrial Revolution, which used water and steam power to mechanize production.
c- Greatest transformation: It brought about the greatest change in the entire history of humanity. It began in the last quarter of the twentieth century and was represented by the revolution in highly advanced science and technology”.²⁴
d- Industrial Revolution (4.0) is the digital revolution whose features began to emerge in the middle of the last century, characterized by the integration of technologies that blur the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.

VII- Investing in Knowledge
The knowledge economy dominates national economies today due to the rapid and substantial growth it generates. "The interest of economists and their awareness of the importance of the role of knowledge and creativity in the productive economy gradually emerged at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, with economists such as Alfred Marshall, Joseph Schumpeter”.²⁵
The development of a rules-based international trading system, along with technological improvements in communications and transportation, has been a crucial and fundamental factor in the recent progress made in many less developed countries.²⁶
"The post-industrial revolution period, characterized by a service economy, provided additional strength for expansion, modernization, and mastery of media products and services”.²⁷

VIII- Reality of the Knowledge Economy Globally
Within the framework of the transition to a digital economy, the World Bank has identified four main pillars for building and sustaining a knowledge economy, which are as follows:
- First: The Economic and Institutional System: It can support the transition to a knowledge economy by providing an appropriate business environment. 
- Second: Education and Training: Quality education is the cornerstone of building a knowledge economy. It has become imperative to bridge the gap by prioritizing scientific disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, technology, and vocational education, and by equipping students with creative and innovative thinking skills.
- Third: Innovation System: Modernizing and expanding the communications and technology infrastructure to facilitate the transfer, processing, and dissemination of knowledge among various segments of society. 
- Fourth: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Infrastructure: Supporting the innovation system by encouraging research and development programs and the institutions that undertake them, such as universities and research centers.²⁸ 
Within the framework of the global growth of the knowledge economy, “the role of the digital economy is growing rapidly in the global landscape”.²⁹
Some authors argue that globalization is closely related to the concentration of media ownership, with large multinational conglomerates accounting for the lion's share of media acquisitions.
Within the framework of the global growth of the knowledge economy, “the role of the digital economy is expanding rapidly, accounting for approximately 23 percent of the total global economy.”³⁰
A new era of digital globalization has begun, with the world never more interconnected by trade, communication, and travel than and the growth rate has been twice as fast as the global economy³¹. 

IX- The Reality of the Knowledge Economy in the Arab World
While countries around the world are striving, to varying degrees, to consolidate their positions as knowledge-based economies, most Arab countries, except for some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, remain far from this advanced model due to a lack or mismanagement of the resources necessary to meet the requirements of such a transformation. Sharaf al-Din, Barakat, and Daher (2018, p. 5) note that “the Arab world generally suffers from a structural weakness in its knowledge reality.”
Murad³² considers, "When we talk about the digital divide, the concept of the knowledge economy comes to mind”. In the same context, Sharaf al-Din³³ explains that, at the Arab level, some figures reveal significant digital gaps that can be transformed into valuable knowledge opportunities if properly addressed. The number of venture capital funding cases in the Levant is 120 per million dollars of GDP, compared to 640 in East Asia.

X- The Reality of the Knowledge Economy in Lebanon and Its Comparative Advantages. 
To keep pace with the global economy and integrate into the knowledge economy, as well as to provide a financial platform for startups, the Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, issued Circular No. 331 on startups in 2013. This initiative allocated $400 million for investment in Lebanese startups. To support this type of venture, Alacrity was launched in the first quarter of 2014 (a startup community that helps founders secure their first client or investor in a short period of time). As a result of this circular, 300 startups were established within its first three years, enabling them to take advantage of this unique opportunity. The main objective of Circular 331 is to develop Lebanon’s ecosystem by providing an appropriate environment and infrastructure to support the anticipated growth in innovation and job opportunities driven by the expanding knowledge economy. The circular also includes insurance coverage from the Central Bank and private banks.
Accordingly, Lebanon is considered “one of the thriving capitals of digital innovation in the Middle East, hosting approximately 13 percent of the total number of investors in the Middle East and North Africa region, with more than 100 investments in this field between 2013 and 2016.”³⁴ 

XI- The Role of the Knowledge Economy in Developing Human & Media Capital in Lebanon
The world has come to view culture and creativity in the fields of literature and the arts in the same way it views media, education, and scientific research, all of which are knowledge-based sectors with economic and investment value. Therefore, in the knowledge economy, we speak of the industry of advanced human beings and of individuals who possess intellectual and creative competencies. In Lebanon, there are enough of these brilliant talents in the fields of creativity and knowledge, distributed across several sectors, such as information technology, modern technology, engineering, fashion design, jewelry, film production, and others.
The method for obtaining the loan, according to Andari³⁵ (personal interview, January 30, 2019), "required companies (media or otherwise) to present the economic feasibility of their project, which was presented using a Systems Solution Application to link the process online, starting from submitting an application to the Commercial Bank and ending with approval from the Central Bank, in a way that facilitates work between startups, banks, and the Central Bank”.
According to (Al-Arabi)³⁶, "In recent years, cultural industries around the world have recorded an upward annual growth rate of approximately 14 percent. The value of innovative goods and services reached approximately 592 billion dollars, contributing 3 percent of the volume of global trade in 2008 (i.e., at the height of the global financial crisis, which led to a 12 percent decline in the volume of global trade). The growth rate of cultural industry exports reached 171 percent of total global exports and imports. Exports were distributed at a rate of approximately 8 percent among crafts, 2 percent among audio-visual industries, approximately 60 percent among design, drawing, and architecture, approximately 7 percent among performing arts (cinema theaters...), approximately 7 percent among new media, and approximately 10 percent among the media." Twelve percent is for publishing and seven percent for visual arts. Lebanon ranked tenth globally and first in the Arab world in terms of the contribution of cultural industries to the gross domestic product (GDP), with an average of approximately five percent, surpassing Canada's four and a half percent and Croatia's nearly four percent..." To keep pace with the growth of this economy in Lebanon, Adel Afiouni was appointed for the first time as Minister of State for Information Technology.³⁷ 

XII- Knowledge Economy and Media
There is no knowledge economy without media, “which has become a pioneering and unique industry, rivaling major industries. Within this framework.”³⁸
In this context, "Lebanon one of the thriving capitals of digital innovation in the Middle East, hosting approximately 30 percent of the total number of investors in the Middle East and North Africa region. The number of investments in this field reached more than 100 between 2013 and 2016."³⁹
Advanced markets are increasingly reliant on a knowledge economy, in which the production, use, and distribution of knowledge and information are growing, primarily through reliance on human capital, Lebanon’s richest resource. This makes the country an ideal candidate for a knowledge-based economy.
To keep pace with the global economy and integrate into the knowledge economy, and to create a financial platform for startups, the Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, issued Circular No. 331 on startups in 2013. This provided $400 million for investment in Lebanese startups. To facilitate this type of startup, Alt City was launched in the first quarter of 2014 (a startup community that helps founders secure their first client or investor in a short period of time). This circular resulted in 300 startups in its first three years, enabling them to take advantage of this unique opportunity.⁴⁰ 
“Lebanon is considered "one of the thriving capitals of digital innovation in the Middle East, hosting approximately 13 percent of the total number of investors in the Middle East and North Africa region, with more than 100 investments in this field between 2013 and 2016”.⁴¹

Part II
Qualitative Analysis of Interview Results according to the Nvivo application 
After a detailed presentation on the existing dialectic between the convergence of electronic platforms, the importance of digital goods, and the flow of information through these platforms, this section relied on a research tool: the “Direct Interview” with the chairpersons of the boards of directors of the fifty-six institutions in the study sample. These institutions include Lebanese television stations, radio stations of the first and second categories, production companies, advertising and publicity agencies, and website and smartphone application design companies, which complement each other despite differences in the quality of their production and goods. The aim of these interviews was to answer the research questions specific to this study.
The questions focused on the challenges and obstacles facing Lebanese audiovisual institutions, and the extent to which these institutions can engage in the knowledge economy and leverage online platforms and websites to market their digital products and services. 
For Validity and reliability of semi-structured interviews we used
 Nvivo program, to make qualitative analysis based on two criteria:
- First: Similar positions or facts about the interview questions that serve the research.
- Second: Different facts among sample members.

1- Analysis of the interviews conducted with officials from Lebanese television stations, as follows:
 

TABLE N^o 1
Common statements: Qualitative analysis of TV interviews in accordance with the NVivo website
A significant decline in advertising spending exceeding 50 percent.
The deteriorating economic situation has prevented commercial establishments from allocating large sums to television advertising campaigns.
keeping up with viewers and providing them with the opportunity to place their advertisements.
The migration of scientific competencies and the skills of young people abroad, particularly to Gulf and European countries, from various media and advertising sectors. The deteriorating economic situation in Lebanon has impacted most institutions, particularly media and advertising, prompting several media colleagues to work for Arab television stations such as Al Arabiya Al Hadath, Al Jazeera, Al Hurra…
The station created a website that publishes and broadcasts the same news, except for some videos and news.
The station's development strategy also included a decision to establish a monthly or annual subscription policy and capitalizing on technological developments through the transition to a knowledge economy.
The website subscription project cannot advance television, as this requires significant investments.
Furthermore, most Lebanese do not welcome or master online shopping, especially when it involves a commodity.
Lbc, Mtv, Ntv, Otv apply a policy of paid subscriptions for residents outside Lebanon to follow archive’s content through their websites, two of them (Lbc & Ntv) implement this policy inside and outside Lebanon.
Netflix (the American website) has attracted viewers across the world, contributing to the decline in traditional television viewership and posing the challenge of continued convergence between electronic platforms and the benefits of reducing costs, time, and information flows, reflecting the application of convergence theory.
Private cable companies profit from television stations' production and sell it to viewers illegally.

2- Analysis of the interviews conducted with officials from Lebanese Radio stations (class one), as follows:
 

TABLE N^o 2
Common statements: Qualitative analysis of Radio (class one) interviews in accordance with the NVivo website
Interference caused by Lebanon's geographical nature and the broadcasting of unlicensed radio stations affects broadcasting services.
A 90 % percent decrease in advertising.
The radio station's website broadcasts the same programs and lacks standalone productions.
The failure to implement a digital broadcast plan burdens the radio station in terms of production costs and prevents it from keeping pace with modernization.
Converting archives to digital requires significant investments.
Social media sites, particularly Facebook, have contributed to the live broadcasting of radio interviews via the radio station's website, using streaming services.
Digital program production and advertising within the radio station.
Declining growth due to difficult economic conditions.
There is no project that allows the sale of digital products or goods through the website, as they believe that such a move would be unethical.

3- Analysis of the interviews conducted with officials from Lebanese Radio stations (class two), as follows:
 

TABLE N^o 3
Common statements: Qualitative analysis of Radio (class Two) interviews in accordance with the NVivo website
Interference from unlicensed broadcasts.
Decrease in advertising due to economic conditions.
In-house digital production, such as advertisements.
Decrease in production rates due to the economic downturn.
Productions are not sold via the website.
Digital sales are made directly via CD.
Productions are all competitions related to the quality of the business at various institutions.
Target listeners are mostly young people.

4- Personal interviews were conducted with officials from website and smartphone application design companies, as follows:
 

TABLE N^o 4
Common statements: Qualitative analysis website designer and smartphone application companies’ interviews
The state has not adequately provided loans to this sector, particularly the subsidized loans granted under Circular 331 for the production of applications and websites.
Electronic platforms connect institutions and businesses in the era of the knowledge economy, where costs are lower and creativity is the primary component, reinforcing the concept of convergence theory.
Creativity means a strategic approach to constantly seeking technological development and implementing it through electronic platforms that keep pace with the times and meet the needs of customers and markets.
Slow internet and lack of fiber optic network connectivity.
The percentage of internet users for commerce, selling, and shopping is low compared to foreign markets, which means that society as a whole has not embraced modern innovations.
The Lebanese market is small, and economic conditions do not allow for keeping up with the latest technological developments.
Products are solutions and applications for managing and updating content or information.
The brain drain hinders the development of businesses that require these competencies and human resources.

5- Personal interviews conducted with officials from advertising and publicity agencies, as follows:

TABLE N^o5
Common statements: Qualitative analysis of advertising and publicity agencies interviews in accordance with the NVivo website
Customers seek the best ideas at the lowest cost. The convergence of electronic platforms and the integration of businesses across them exemplify Media Convergence Theory. This convergence has emerged particularly in digital advertising creativity, where investment has significantly outperformed traditional advertising, despite the challenging economic conditions resulting from the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The advertising market has declined by between 35 and 55 percent due to the economic recession.
Digital advertising production has become an absolute necessity in our era, but it will not take long. The luster of traditional advertising.
The advertising market is affected by the security and economic situation.
Advertising is an essential element for the existence of a sovereign, free, and independent media, and its absence signifies the existence of political media.
The economic and political situation in Lebanon is extremely difficult, even more so than the Lebanese war.
Commercial institutions are no longer able to allocate funds for advertising campaigns, especially television and radio, because their costs are very high. They are turning to new, less expensive, and more widely viewed platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Working with Gulf countries is a guarantee for the continuity of advertising agencies.

6- Personal interviews were conducted with the heads of the boards of production companies, as follows:
 

TABLE N^o 6
Common statements: Qualitative analysis of interviews with production company executives in accordance with the NVivo website
The Lebanese market is small and cannot accommodate large investments.
Media convergence is a phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies on the one hand, and computer networks and media content on the other.
It combines the three elements of computing, communication, and content, and is a direct result of the digitization of media content and the spread of the internet. Media convergence is transforming existing industries, services, and business practices, enabling the emergence of new forms of content. Here, we find the application of this phenomenon through the broadcast of drama production content on streaming platforms.
This opportunity provides financial support for companies, enabling production and sustainability. However, the deteriorating economic situation discourages production. The financial deficits of Lebanese television stations prevent them from producing or purchasing drama, variety, and other programs.

Recommendations
1- The need to transition from an industrial economy to an information economy, shifting from commodity production to information production.
2- Support all knowledge-based sectors whose production is characterized by innovation and creativity, enabling them to enter the knowledge economy with strength.

Conclusion
The world is witnessing an astonishing growth in financial and information flows aimed at political, social, and cultural influence. The sheer volume of information, together with traditional forms of radio, television, and electronic media, has reached impressive proportions.
Media content, as a product, differs from other goods that are bought and sold in terms of the meanings it conveys, as well as in subtler ways arising from the unique economic characteristics of symbolic goods. Although the meanings conveyed by the press and audiovisual media are often referred to as “consumables,” a media commodity is not consumed, destroyed, or depleted through use, unlike material goods such as a piece of bread. Consequently, the same film, television program, or newspaper article can be enjoyed or utilized by multiple people repeatedly.
Based on this reality, the study results show that four television stations (Lbc, Mtv, Ntv, otv) apply a policy of paid subscriptions for residents outside Lebanon to follow their programs and return to their old content (archives) through their websites, according to demand. Two of them (Lbc Ntv) implement this policy inside and outside Lebanon. 
It is worth noting that Voice of Lebanon Radio (VDL), broadcasting on the 100.3–100.5 FM frequencies, has achieved an advanced qualitative leap in engaging with the knowledge economy, capitalizing on technological developments and platform convergence. It has launched a 24-hour visual broadcast, VDL 24, available through Cable Vision, its official website vdl.me, its dedicated mobile applications on Android and iOS, as well as on Smart TVs and its social media platforms. This has positioned it as a “visual radio,” offering a unique and pioneering experience on both the Lebanese and Arab levels.
Voice of Lebanon has anticipated the rapid changes in the media field and adapted to them through smart technologies, thereby expanding its audience base. However, it has not yet moved toward monetizing its content through monthly or annual subscriptions, as this requires significant investments, which it plans to pursue in the near future. 
Integration into the knowledge economy requires two essential conditions: Investment in information and communication technology & Investment in intellectual capital. These two conditions are fundamental to resolving the dialectic between current practices and future vision regarding information technology and the knowledge economy in the radio and television sector.

Refrences

في اللغة العربية

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تكنولوجيا المعلومات واقتصاد المعرفة

جدلية العلاقة والرؤية المستقبلية

(الإعلام اللبناني المرئي والمسموع أنموذجًا)

أصبح الاقتصاد جزءًا من صناعة الإعلام الذي بات كجزءٍ من الصناعة الاقتصادية، وأصبحت المعرفة عصب الاقتصاد الحديث والسلعة المعرفية الأغلى في العالم. فالإبداع ركيزة أساسية في الصناعة الإعلامية في عصر اقتصاد المعرفة، بحيث تتداول منتجاته عبر المنصات الإلكترونية بسرعةٍ قياسية وبكلفةٍ أقل.

أظهر هذا المقال حجم التحديات التقنية، البشرية والمالية التي تواجهها وسائل الإعلام المرئية والمسموعة اللبنانية، ومعدل اندماجها في اقتصاد المعرفة. وعلى الرغم من هذه التحديات، ودخول هذه المؤسسات إلى العالم الرقمي، وتقاربها مع جميع المنصات التكنولوجية، إلا أن معظمها لا يجيد الاستفادة المادية من مواقعه الإلكترونية وتطبيقات الهواتف الذكية عبر اشتراكات مدفوعة، بل إنه يعرض منتجاته على منصات مواقعه الإلكترونية من دون أي مقابل.

وتُظهر النتائج أن أربع محطات تلفزيونية (Lbc، Mtv، Ntv وOtv) تطبّق سياسة الاشتراكات المدفوعة للمقيمين خارج لبنان بغية متابعة برامجها والعودة إلى محتواها القديم (الأرشيف) عبر مواقعها الإلكترونية، وذلك حسب الطلب، ولكن اثنتَيْن منهما فقط (Lbc   Ntv) تُطبّقان هذه السياسة داخل لبنان وخارجه.