Arabic was imposed on the Berbers by the Muslims who conquered Morocco in waves of invasions beginning in the 7th century. Its influence waned a bit during the French colonial period, but after Morocco gained its independence in 1956, it surged again. In the 1970s, the government launched a campaign to impose stricter standards for the use of Arabic in place of French in government and education. But the government has resisted calls for recognition of Tamazight as an official language of Morocco, fearing that the crusade will spawn a separatist movement. Even in schools in predominantly Berber areas, lessons are not taught in Tamazight but in Arabic.
Television programming follows suit.
One government-affiliated channel, 2M, broadcasts a mix of Arabic and French. The other, RTM, broadcasts predominantly in Arabic, with only 5 to 10 minutes a day of news in Berber. They also blame it for the continued poverty of most Berbers. Language is all-important to Moroccan Berbers because it is the main attribute that unites their pluralistic culture. Though most Berbers are Muslim, some are Jewish and others are Christian.