Current TV goes from Al Gore to Al Jazeera

[gunnut]

Al Gore sells Current TV to Al-Jazeera, nets reported $100 million
Published January 03, 2013

FoxNews.com


It's Emir-acle!

Former Vice President Al Gore has made himself a much, much richer man by selling his little watched cable channel Current TV to the Emir of Qatar-funded Arab news channel Al-Jazeera.

Gore netted $100 million with his 20 percent stake in the network when it was sold for a reported $500 million on Wednesday.

Al-Jazeera plans to euthanize the struggling, seven-year-old Current TV and turn it into Al-Jazeera America by adding five to 10 new U.S. bureaus beyond the five it has now. More than half of its content will be U.S. news, and the network will have its headquarters in New York, according to a rep.

But while Al-Jazeera will now be available in millions more American homes, it will not be seen on the nation's second-largest TV operator, Time Warner Cable, as they dropped Current TV immediately after the sale became final.

"Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.

Time Warner Cable's move is a sign that Al-Jazeera will have an uphill climb to shed its reputation as a purveyor of propaganda, but the acquisition of Current TV instantly boosts its reach in the U.S. nearly ninefold, to about 40 million homes.

But even if it’s part of their cable plan, will people tune in?

“There are still people who will not watch it, who will say that it’s a ‘terrorist network,’ ” Philip Seib, the author of “The Al Jazeera Effect,” told the New York Times.

Al-Jazeera has been criticized for having a pro-Islamist bent, and accused of working with members of Al Qaeda. One of its journalists was arrested in Israel in 2011 on suspicion of being an agent of the Palestinian group Hamas. Dave Marash, a former "Nightline" reporter who worked for Al-Jazeera in Washington, said he left the network in 2008 in part because he sensed an anti-American bias there.

Another hurdle for Al-Jazeera is that few are watching Current TV now, with an average prime time viewership around 42,000 for shows starring disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Jennifer Granholm and other liberal pundits.

But Gore, on his way out the door, sees a bright future for Al-Jazeera America where his Current TV failed, saying both networks were founded "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."

- The Associated Press contributed to this report

Read more: Al Gore sells Current TV to Al-Jazeera, nets reported $100 million | Fox News

I have to commend Al Gore for selling his stake on Wednesday. He paid the higher tax rate. Or did he...

[USSWisconsin]

Well we''re a free country - if they want to broadcast El Jazeera here and follow our rules - so be it.

If people want to watch it - wouldn't they just watch it from where ever it was broadcast? We have the internet.

Why not have them pay people here to broadcast it, and have US laws apply to what the station broadcasts - I doubt they'd get to encourage kids to commit terrorism from a US based station. It could even lead them to do something more decent else where? Maybe not.

[bonehead]

Could have been worse. Glen Beck made an offer.

[chakos]

From what iv'e seen of Al' Jazeera it comes across as a fairly balanced news service. It does tell the story from the Arab perspective but as an Arab station that's to be expected, I haven't yet seen much in the way of outright lies and it does present information to a higher standard than the MSM. I do however understand that in a time of conflict each side tries to control the narrative and its obvious that the Al' Jazeera narrative isn't always the one that the powers that be (or the greater public) want to be pushed.

Someone with a limited interest in foreign affairs, with a limited education and often with family fighting overseas often doesn't want to look at things from a completely objective basis, they want the media to be on 'their side' and to be honest I don't think any power on either side has been willing to accept 'balanced and unbiased' in time of conflict since the birth of mass media.

Objectively i'm all for Al' Jazeera airing in the USA, I can however understand the reason for the hate in some sectors.

[Bigfella]

My understanding is that AJ tends to tailor its style to its audience. What it broadcasts in English is differnt to what it broadcasts in Arabic. Given the low standards set by Fox & MSNBC, AJ is unlikely to be any more biased...and probably a good deal less so.

[Doktor]

There is AJ Serbia and whenever I watched news there, they covered the events pretty much balanced. I think Orthodox Serbs work there, not minorities and for now it a nice source for events on my north.

However, I still haven't seen links to AJ Serbia as a source.

[Parihaka]

AJ has biases beyond a doubt, the evil Jews for one. In this regard they're about level with the Guardian. Where they differ from say the Guardian (print) and the beeb is they're streets ahead in the quality and depth of their articles. I get to watch a lot of news feeds while I'm working and AJ is the world leader at the moment by a country mile. If I wasn't already committed to my next ten year plan I'd go work for them.

[bigross86]

Al Jazeera are extremely biased against Israel, and this can be seen by even a cursory glance at their reporting during Pillar of Defense, and even more during Cast Lead, when Al Jazeera where pretty much the only foreign press in the Gaza Strip.

[kato]

You don't get Al Jazeera on your side of the pond?

Let's see, on my receiver for Astra Digital Al Jazeera arabic is on channel 150, right between Cubavision International and Rede Record, a Brazilian channel... and Al Jazeera english sits on channel 155 inbetween Arirang TV (Korean, in English) and Russia Today (yes, RT).

Al Jazeera arabic is running some sort of report on demonstrations in Iraq right now, on Al Jazeera english they're doing some sort of report on the current state of affairs between Fatah and Hamas. With interviews of people on Gaza streets, and some sort of Fatah press spokesman speaking...

RT is running something on Syria btw. As usual. Pretty pro-Syrian-government positions stated btw. Arirang is doing something on unemployment in (South) Korea, Cubavision is showing something on Cuban music, and RedeRecord is trying to sell me... uh, i think either a new cell phone or some banking product. My portuguese sucks.

If I want news TV in Arabic I watch France 24. Their anchorwomen are hotter.

[DOR]

If you can't get AJ as a regular part of your broadband TV service, move.
You're in a neighborhood that either practices censorship, or is woefully behind the times.

[Doktor]

kato,

From that offer, I'd stick to Cubavision.

[Parihaka]

If you can't get AJ as a regular part of your broadband TV service, move.
You're in a neighborhood that either practices censorship, or is woefully behind the times.

This is the funniest thing

But while Al-Jazeera will now be available in millions more American homes, it will not be seen on the nation's second-largest TV operator, Time Warner Cable, as they dropped Current TV immediately after the sale became final.

"Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.

As though they're telling their audience they're all a bunch of idiots who will be easily swayed by 'mad Arabs' if given the opportunity.

[bigross86]

If someone told me they got their news from Al Jazeera as their primary source, I would immediately assume they are anti-Israel, regardless of where they came from.

I also would not trust Al Jazeera to be at all objective, at least when it came to Israel, and yes, I would assume that there are many people that would watch their news and get the absolutely wrong ideas.

[bonehead]

Where can I find AJ broadcast among all the spanish crap that pervades the channels now? Yes, that was a bucket full of sarcasm.

I can say with certainty that the only people in the U.S. listening to AJ are either muslim or the useful idiots....and the ones paid by the government to listen in. Unfortunately BR, when one only listens/watches only one source they are doomed not to have enough info to make an educated opinion on the color of shit let alone politics/world events.

[bonehead]

As though they're telling their audience they're all a bunch of idiots who will be easily swayed by 'mad Arabs' if given the opportunity.

You just described the mediazombies in the U.S to a T. Too many can not tell the difference between entertainment and the real news. To their credit "real news" is getting harder and harder to come by.