Posted on 01/02/2013 7:32:39 PM PST by smoothsailing
Ed Driscoll
“Al Jazeera is putting the final touches on a deal to take over Current TV, the low-rated cable channel that was founded by Al Gore and his business partners seven years ago,” the New York Times claims:
If the deal is completed, Current will provide the pan-Arab news giant with something it has sought for years: a pathway into American living rooms. Current is available in about 60 million of the 100 million homes in the United States with cable or satellite service.
Rather than simply use Current to distribute its English-language channel, called Al Jazeera English and based in Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera will create a new channel based in New York, according to people with knowledge of the deal negotiations. The channel may be called Al Jazeera America. Roughly 60 percent of the programming will be produced in the United States, while the remaining 40 percent will come from Al Jazeera English.
Al Jazeera may absorb some Current TV staff members, according to the people, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. But Current’s schedule of shows will most likely be dissolved in the spring.
The plan will bring Al Jazeera, which is financed by the government of Qatar, into closer competition with CNN and other news channels in the United States.
“But-but-but, wherever will failed and disgraced Democrat governors go to find work?”, Breitbart News quips.
I suspect they’d certainly feel at home there, as England’s David Frost did, when he made his own lateral move, leaving the BBC for Al Jazeera back in 2005.
Similarly, this headline at Free Republic from April could be remarkably prescient: “Keith Olbermann: Machine Gun for Hire (Next stop: Al Jazeera?)”
Not surprisingly, Twitter is having lots of fun with this news, including hashtags such as “#CurrentAlJazeeraShowPitches” and comments such as this:
So it will become more pro-Israel? // Al Jazeera is finalizing a deal to take over Current TV. nyti.ms/VvhxMe
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 2, 2013
Update: “I really don’t like the idea of an extremist propaganda outlet that seeks the destruction of America airing on U.S. cable. Fortunately, sounds like Al Jazeera’s about to get rid of it,” Allahpundit deadpans.
More: Done deal? “AP Says It’s Official: Muslim Network Devours ManBearPig.”.......
ping to the main stage
Paging jimbo123; it looks like you nailed it.
We need FRee TV. LOL
We could used Trueblackman,LS,Annaz and wealth of others for content.
To bad we don’t have a bankroll.
bttt - agreed.
LOL! Oh man. That’s funny!
Ha! I had post #35 on the FR thread mentioned in the article. ;o)
” Current is available in about 60 million of the 100 million homes in the United States with cable or satellite service.”
***
Yeah, but only 5 people actually watch.
...and decadent western swimwear...
Al Gorezeera
I think that al-Jazeera is making a terrible blunder doing this, because they assume that cable networks that currently carry Current, because of their leftist leaning owners, will want to continue to carry Current under Arab ownership.
Unless they have signed, long term contracts, I would guess that they are in for a big surprise.
The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), hosts an annual NATPE Market & Conference convention. This is the big programming sales event of the year.
“Amongst those in attendance include media buyers, broadcast and cable networks and channels looking to acquire programming, program distribution companies, financiers, advertisers, technology companies, and content producers.
“NATPE 2013 is planned to occur from January 28-30, 2013 at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.”
Basically, al-Jazeera will have to “sell” the new Current TV programming within the month, in an impressively cutthroat market environment. Lots and lots of contracts that take months to put together.
And a LOT of the people they hope to sell to are Jewish.
Obama’s Fairness Doctrine will trump all that. Al Jazeera will be deemed special status via executive order on “private sector” airwaves tthe same way NPR is handled- with kid gloves and plenty of taxpayer money to help spread the left’s message.
“To bad we don’t have a bankroll.”
No problem, we’ve already got the business model. No commercials, we just hold a telethon that lasts until people cough up enough money to run the station for 3 months. Then, back to our regularly scheduled programming!
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