The Absence Of Al Jazeera English In The U.S. Is Troubling

[Turborama]

Ronnie Lovler

Ronnie Lovler is international editor for Newswire21.org and also freelances for KGO-TV and Patch.com. She is writing a book about Al Jazeera English.

=snip=


You can watch Al Jazeera on TV almost anywhere in the world - except in the United States. How is this possible in our nation where freedom of the press is a basic constitutional tenet? Just what do cable and satellite carriers fear?

Al Jazeera English has received nearly universal raves as one of the best sources of news about events in Egypt. Mainstream journalists wrote reviews praising its coverage. Bloggers blogged about being glued to their computers or mobile devices to watch Al Jazeera.

The Qatar-founded and funded international news network launched in November 2006 as the first and only English-language global news network not based in the West. According to its website, it now reaches more than 220 million households in 100 countries. But here in the United States, while you can catch Al Jazeera on YouTube or its website, you can only see it on television in Burlington, Vt.; Toledo, Ohio; Washington, D.C., and now, on San Francisco's Link TV. (It is also available on satellite TV.) Could a subtle or not so subtle form of censorship be at play here?

The Bush administration's labeling of Al Jazeera as "the terrorist network" because it aired video from and interviews with al Qaeda may have conspired to keep the network off the air. Cable and satellite companies say they don't carry Al Jazeera because they don't have room for it or because customers don't want another news channel.

Really?

Full article well worth reading in its entirity: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/19/INHD1HO6NG.DTL

I posted details on how anyone can watch Al Jazeera English for free on a really stable connection with Livestream here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x360546

WaPo article on this and lots of follow up links in this OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x349857

Something I posted a couple of weeks ago: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=327137&mesg_id=327137">CNET: Roku Boxes Get USB Playback & Al Jazeera English

Just found this helpful blog post, too: http://gigaom.com/video/watch-al-jazeera-english-boxee-roku-ps3-iphone-ipad-android/">12 Ways to Watch Al-Jazeera English

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x326334">Demand Al Jazeera English In The US
http://english.aljazeera.net/demandaljazeera/">

P.S.

AFP & Reuters are both using Al Jazeera as a source for some of their reports on Libya: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=469522&mesg_id=469565

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6848728">A lengthy history I put together of how the Bush Junta murdered Al Jazeera reporters and tried to wipe the channel off the map, just for doing their job. Being real journalists.

----x----

[RKP5637]

1. IMO they fear competition, the newscasters in the US know they could not

provide the level of content provided by AJZ, hence, they like to demonize them. Additionally, many in the US want to restrict truth despite the fact we say we have a free press. Roku roku.com works well on a regular TV to stream AJZ if one has broadband. Roku was, of course, in the list you provided.

[Turborama]

2. I forgot about the OP I posted about Roku's new features

Thanks for the reminder, I've just added a link to it in this OP.

[RKP5637]

4. Great info. !!!

:)

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. Blame it on the customers. Yeah they don't like having too many choices. (BS)

I think the issue there is with the media companies that probably would take issue with too much competition.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Media is a green eyeshade business

- Is there adequate demand?
- Will there be advertisers willing to buy time on it?
- Will the forecast revenue cover the incremental cost to carry it?
- Will there be blow back with economic consequences?
- Will it make more $$$ than whatever it replaces?

If there is a buck to be made, it will be there, if not...

[upi402]

6. It's not about ratings or money

It really is about control of information, and keeping certain information out of the public discourse.

Air America was removed from the air when it had high ratings and replaced with known bad ratings shows.
Donahue was taken off MSNBC when he was the highest rated show, but against the Iraq war for oil.
Hannity, Rush, etc are promoted and well funded, but DemocracyNow! is relegated to community access channels here and even that's getting cut.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. AA died over $$$

While in some markets it was holding its own, overall it was losing money with no way to staunch the red ink. Media is all about the $$$.

Right now Rush is so popular he is actually charging stations to carry his show, very rare in US radio. He lost play in some small markets over it but is actually making more money.

[seafan]

7. The corporate excuses for not allowing Al Jazeera English onto our TVs are quite laughable.

"The networks are too crowded."

"Americans just aren't interested in international news."




US viewers seek Al Jazeera coverage; Telecommunications Companies Block Its Expansion in the U. S.


Right now, Libya's repressive government is collapsing; Egypt's authoritarian regime fell on February 11; Tunisia's repressive government fell in January. In each country, their own people are throwing off these deplorable regimes.



And keeping the American populace largely ignorant of these events is blatant censorship by own own breed of oligarchs.


Al Jazeera English live news link here.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. The reasons given translate directly to $$$

[underpants]

12. Why is Scarborough (following Imus) on the "liberal network" MSNBC?

because they couldn't have Democracy Now or Stephanie Miller on-why people might not get the status quo corporate talking points before leaving the house for the day. Just imagine the watercooler conversations if say 3 out of 10 people knew what the protests in Wisconsin were actually about or that the unions already said they would give some things up but only if the collective bargaining standards were followed.

Just imagine that.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. $$$

Its not ideology, its $$$, even at MSNBC.

[Turborama]

20. "status quo corporate talking points"

I think that nails it, actually.

Anyone who can't see that are still being deluded that "it's just how capitalism works" and need to have a short visit to a country outside America and watch some non corporate run news there.

[Turborama]

17. Thank you for adding the link to your excellent OP

I tried to find it so I could add it when I was composing this one but couldn't remember its title.

I agree 100% with your additional comments here, too.


Thanks again,

T

:hi:

[seafan]

25. UK source this morning: "Al Jazeera English in talks with US cable providers"

Maybe, just maybe, we are gaining ground in the fight against the blow-dried media burlesque over here.




22 February 2011 By: Rachel McAthy

This, from the UK:

Al Anstey, managing director of Al Jazeera English, is holding talks with US cable providers about carrying the network in the US for the first time.

According to a release from Al Jazeera, the first meeting is scheduled for today in New York with Comcast. The Qatar-based broadcaster said that the meetings are the result of a "surge of interest" in Al Jazeera English following its coverage of the Egypt protests.

The Al Jazeera English website claims to have seen a 2500 per cent increase in visitors following its widely praised coverage of the protests in Egypt, despite the network having its Cairo bureau shut down and broadcasting licence revoked.

"We’re very grateful for all the support and appreciation we’ve been receiving," Anstey said in a release.

"Clearly the demand is there for Al Jazeera and people want to see us on their screens."

The meetings between Al Jazeera English and US cable companies follow a campaign by the broadcaster – and calls from figures such as media professor Jeff Jarvis – for US cable providers to support the service. Jarvis argued in a blog post that AJE's online-only stream "is not going to have the same impact – political and education impact – that putting AJE on the cable dial would have".

(HT to DUer jefferson_dem for finding this info)


And, thanks, Turborama, for keeping the pressure on!

[Turborama]

26. Thank you, seafan

This news has made my day!

And thanks again to jefferson_dem for the awesome find.

[SoCalDem]

28. I wish I had the option to choose which CNN & BBC, I wanted

I would LOVE to have CNN-I and the REAL BBC

[Cleita]

8. They've had excellent coverage too.

We should have it if for no other reason the competition might force CNN and MSNBC to do better.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. Make the case to you cable provider

[sabrina 1]

13. I've already done that, contacted our cable co. to ask that they

include it.

But why do we have to beg for Al Jazeera when we had Fox and Murdoch foisted on his with no warning?

Why did Murdoch have zero problem getting on the air, with support from so many morons in our political system, like Rudolph Giuliani eg?

No one had heard of Fox before it was included in the lineup. I remember when I first discovered it and all I heard was shouting and yelling and wondered why we were getting this strange network which was no requested by us.


So, it's clear that the U.S. does not want quality news programming. People that are informed are not going to be so complacent.

[Turborama]

24. People that are informed are not going to be so complacent + status quo corporate talking points

= You http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=471820&mesg_id=473628">& underpants perfectly summing it up.

:hi:

BTW I just saw this get unrec'd from 19 to 18, now what kind of DUer would want an OP about an excellent news channel to be less visible? :shrug:

[sabrina 1]

27. Amazing sometimes what gets unrec'd here.

Wikileaks has changed everything. WE KNOW what they are up to now. Our media of course is not covering those incredible revelations so it's up to the people to get the information.

But eg, we know from those cables that this Govt. was negotiating with Qaddafi to sell him Nuclear Power and more 'dangerous weapons'.

THAT should be a headline in our media right now and accountability should be demanded.

[Keith Bee]

14. K&R

I mean, God forbid we should get to hear other people's opinion! The horror! :scared:

[Turborama]

19. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

And thank you for the K&R.

[PufPuf23]

15. Thanks for your great posts.

I hadn't forgtten that the DoD attacked journalists.

[Turborama]

18. You're most welcome, PufPuf23

Thanks for the thanks! They're really appreciated.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

21. K&R

[tishaLA]

22. In Los Angeles the PBS station has been airing it

I think twice daily. Granted it's only a half hour each time but it's better than most people get.

[AsahinaKimi]

23. Can watch it here also

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/