SportFreak
31-01-05, 15:41
Aljazeera is going private.
Al-Jazeera TV Considers Privatization
Sun Jan 30, 4:06 PM ET Top Stories - AP
DOHA, Qatar - Al-Jazeera, the satellite TV station that has drawn harsh criticism from Washington for perceptions it encourages violence against U.S. forces in Iraq (news - web sites), is studying how to become a private company without subsidies from Qatar's government, a spokesman said Sunday.
Since its start in 1996, the station has won a large following across the Arab world with a reputation as an independent voice in a region where news media are mostly state-controlled.
U.S. leaders have frequently complained about the station's coverage of the Iraq war and accuse it of encouraging violence against American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites). Governments in the region have been angered by al-Jazeera programs criticizing Arab authorities, and the station's offices in Iraq and several other Arab countries have been ordered closed.
The New York Times said Sunday that strained relations over the complaints had led the U.S.-allied Qatari government to speed up efforts to privatize the station.
Government officials were not available to comment on the report, but Al-Jazeera spokesman Jihad Ballout said the station had been discussing privatization for 15 months.
Some of Al-Jazeera's operating expenses are underwritten by Qatar's government, and the station brings in revenue from advertisements, sponsorship deals, program sales and subscriptions in Europe and North America.
"We've been subsidized by the Qatari government since 1996 and we believe that this is the next stage. The most important factor is that Al-Jazeera maintain its independence," Ballout said.
He would not speculate on when or how the station might be privatized.
Arab journalists said they did not believe a change in ownership structure would affect Al-Jazeera's news reports.
"I don't think privatization will have much of an impact on the station's editorial policy," said Rami Khouri, executive editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. "Their editorial formula seems to be a successful one and they have a large regional and global audience."
Al-Jazeera TV Considers Privatization
Sun Jan 30, 4:06 PM ET Top Stories - AP
DOHA, Qatar - Al-Jazeera, the satellite TV station that has drawn harsh criticism from Washington for perceptions it encourages violence against U.S. forces in Iraq (news - web sites), is studying how to become a private company without subsidies from Qatar's government, a spokesman said Sunday.
Since its start in 1996, the station has won a large following across the Arab world with a reputation as an independent voice in a region where news media are mostly state-controlled.
U.S. leaders have frequently complained about the station's coverage of the Iraq war and accuse it of encouraging violence against American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites). Governments in the region have been angered by al-Jazeera programs criticizing Arab authorities, and the station's offices in Iraq and several other Arab countries have been ordered closed.
The New York Times said Sunday that strained relations over the complaints had led the U.S.-allied Qatari government to speed up efforts to privatize the station.
Government officials were not available to comment on the report, but Al-Jazeera spokesman Jihad Ballout said the station had been discussing privatization for 15 months.
Some of Al-Jazeera's operating expenses are underwritten by Qatar's government, and the station brings in revenue from advertisements, sponsorship deals, program sales and subscriptions in Europe and North America.
"We've been subsidized by the Qatari government since 1996 and we believe that this is the next stage. The most important factor is that Al-Jazeera maintain its independence," Ballout said.
He would not speculate on when or how the station might be privatized.
Arab journalists said they did not believe a change in ownership structure would affect Al-Jazeera's news reports.
"I don't think privatization will have much of an impact on the station's editorial policy," said Rami Khouri, executive editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. "Their editorial formula seems to be a successful one and they have a large regional and global audience."