The Lebanese Broadcast Corporation (LBCI & LBC-SAT) much trumpeted plans to launch a pan-Arab version of NBC’s hit business TV show The Apprentice have been put on hold.
The 15-part series, scheduled to air in October, a month after the premiere of the rival CEO show, had already made announcements for casting and had signed up business mogul Mohamed Ali Alabbar as host.
Yet a media spat between Alabbar and the producers of CEO clouded the show in controversy from the start, leading to rumors of a pullout by the colorful chairman of the real estate development company Emaar-Dubai.
“The decision to put the show on hold until a more appropriate time was a unilateral decision made by LBC, which we were merely informed of,” an aide said, on condition of anonymity. “Mr. Alabbar will abide by their decision, but he had not expressed any desire to pull out of the show.”
LBC has refused to issue a public statement on the matter, but sources close to the production team say the casting has been put on hold and the shooting of the show postponed.
As of yet, none of the leading advertising agencies in Lebanon have entered negotiations on a sponsorship contract for the show, one of the largest sources of revenue for reality TV shows – another indication of the delays in launching the program.
A FreemantleMedia franchise, The Apprentice pits several contestants against each other in a bid to showcase their business savvy. Contestants are teamed up and made to solve a variety of business problems, negotiate deals and manage projects. The winner of LBC’s Apprentice was scheduled to walk away with a $300,000 a year senior position at Emaar-Dubai, working alongside Mr. Alabbar.
