Saudi starts spoof news program on Web

A new weekly spoof news show for Saudi audiences has started on the web.

Called "A Quarter to Nine," it so far just features a news reader with only a couple of images and no obvious visual jokes. At least three episodes have aired so far.

The person behind it says that he has already received offers from satellite stations to broadcast the parody news show, but that it is not quite yet ready for prime time.

This looks to be good news all around. A prerequisite for change is the ability to look at yourself from a different perspective, and that's what satire does.