image missing
HOME SN-BRIEFS SYSTEM
OVERVIEW
EFFECTIVE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRESS
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEMS
POSSIBILITIES
STATE
CAPITALS
FLOW
ACTIVITIES
FLOW
ACTORS
PETER
BURGESS
SiteNav SitNav (0) SitNav (1) SitNav (2) SitNav (3) SitNav (4) SitNav (5) SitNav (6) SitNav (7) SitNav (8)
Date: 2024-12-07 Page is: DBtxt001.php txt00003910

Country ... USA
Media

Jan 2013 ... Al Jazeera buys US channel Current TV ... Qatar-based network to launch Al Jazeera America, reaching 40 million US homes, up from 4.7 million before the deal.

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Al Jazeera buys US channel Current TV ... Qatar-based network to launch Al Jazeera America, reaching 40 million US homes, up from 4.7 million before the deal.

Al Jazeera Media Network has announced that it has acquired US cable channel Current TV.

The Qatar-based network said on Thursday that with the acquisition it plans to create Al Jazeera America, a US-based news channel. Al Jazeera’s coverage will soon be available in more than 40 million US households, up from 4.7 million prior to the deal.

Terms were undisclosed, but analysts told the Reuters news agency the deal could be worth an estimated $500m. The new channel will be headquartered in New York City.

In addition to the existing Al Jazeera news bureaus in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago, Al Jazeera will open additional bureaus in key locations across the United States. It will also double its US-based staff to more than 300 employees.

The deal brings Al Jazeera into closer competition with American news channels like CNN, MSNBC and Fox. The award-winning channel is seen in more than 260 million homes in 130 countries, but has had limited access to US markets.

'For many years, we understood that we could make a positive contribution to the news and information available in and about the United States and what we are announcing today will help us achieve that goal,' Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, director general of Al Jazeera, said in a statement.

'By acquiring Current TV, Al Jazeera will significantly expand our existing distribution footprint in the US, as well as increase our newsgathering and reporting efforts in America.'

Common goals

Al Jazeera said its new US-based news channel would be separate from Al Jazeera English, and would provide both domestic and international news for American audiences.

The new channel is scheduled to begin broadcasting in 2013.

Current Television was set up seven years ago by former US vice president Al Gore. Although Current TV has been struggling for ratings, it nonetheless reaches 60 million American households, according to its own figures.

Gore and his partner Joel Hyatt also announced the sale in a statement.

'Current Media was built based on a few key goals: To give voice to those who are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the stories that no one else is telling,' Gore and Hyatt said.

'Al Jazeera has the same goals and, like Current, believes that facts and truth lead to a better understanding of the world around us.'

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies


AJE News Americas
Last Modified: 03 Jan 2013 07:32
The text being discussed is available at
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/01/2013132255769130.html
SITE COUNT<
Amazing and shiny stats
Blog Counters Reset to zero January 20, 2015
TrueValueMetrics (TVM) is an Open Source / Open Knowledge initiative. It has been funded by family and friends. TVM is a 'big idea' that has the potential to be a game changer. The goal is for it to remain an open access initiative.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AN OPEN KNOWLEDGE MODEL
A MODEST DONATION WILL HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN
The information on this website may only be used for socio-enviro-economic performance analysis, education and limited low profit purposes
Copyright © 2005-2021 Peter Burgess. All rights reserved.