Why Are American Cable Viewers Deprived of Al-Jazeera (But Pay for Fox News?)

[Joanne98]

You can't watch Al-Jazeera English on TV, but part of your monthly check to the cable company goes to support the news brought by Rupert Murdoch.

As street protests toppled dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, many Americans turned to Al-Jazeera English for the most comprehensive, informed coverage of those historic developments.

But they mostly weren't watching the channel on television. That's right--perhaps the best television coverage of the uprising in Egypt wasn't available on your TV set.

Of course, you could still watch live broadcasts of Egyptians standing up against U.S.-supported dictator Hosni Mubarak on standard network channels. Journalists from CNN and CBS have bravely reported from the protests in Tahrir Square. But to many media watchers, Al-Jazeera English (AJE) is setting the standard, offering viewers a chance to hear more from Egyptian activists and experts and less from U.S politicians, pundits, and former government officials. (Not to worry: If you really wanted to know what Henry Kissinger thought, public television's Charlie Rose had you covered.)

http://www.alternet.org/world/149906/why_are_american_cable_viewers_deprived_of_al-jazeera_%28but_pay_for_fox_news%29/

[Atman]

1. Betcha anything the cable co's just don't want the controversy

It will cost them money to acquire and make the necessary adjustments to their line-up, and then you know what will happen? Some crazy freeper/tea bagger will scream bloody murder than them damn mooooslims are allowed to broadcast their evil Al Qaida terrorism propaganda into his livingroom, and then he'll start calling for boycotts and whining like spoiled, bigoted children, and the "Stop Al Jareeza" groups will get face time on every so-called "news" program and the cable companies will be pilloried in the public square and...

Oh, you get the point.

[Doctor_J]

2. Because the USSA propaganda apparatus

puts Pravda and Goebbels to shame. that's not to put down the Nazis or Soviets. With the budget and technology that Murdoch & Ailes have at their disposal, their forefathers might have done just as well.

[Newcanuck]

3. I usually watch the BBC...

when I watch news on TV at all, but in the last couple of weeks, I've been watching AlJazeera almost exclusively and have been greatly impressed. If you are able to watch AJ and then switch to CNN (can't usually stand it more than a few seconds), it's not like comparing apples to oranges any more, it's like comparing apples to teabags.

[Citizen Worker]

4. Because an informed citizenry is dangerous.