http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200611/NAT2006111 5a.html
Al-Jazeera English Launch Faces Hurdles in US By Nathan Burchfiel CNSNews.com Staff Writer November 15, 2006 (CNSNews.com) - The worldwide launch of the English-language version of al-Jazeera, scheduled to take place Wednesday, has been hindered by the network's inability to secure a high-profile U.S. carrier and by efforts on the part of conservatives to block the station. "The launching of the English channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of al-Jazeera without being able to watch it or to understand its language," network director general Wadah Khanfar said in a release. Khanfar said the new channel "will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English-speaking world." The English version of the Arab network will have broadcast centers in Qatar, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, London and Washington, D.C., but interested viewers in the United States may have trouble getting access to its programs. Al-Jazeera International will be available in the U.S. on the satellite network Globecast WorldTV, which calls itself "the leading source for international programming via satellite in America." Globecast is a subsidiary of France Telecom. Anyone with about $200 worth of the right equipment will be able to access the broadcast free of charge from Globecast. About half of Globecast's more than 200 stations are "free-to-air," meaning viewers with the right equipment can access the programming without a subscription charge. Globecast is also making the feed available to U.S. cable providers, but vice president for global communications Robert Marking told Cybercast News Service he knew of no agreements between al-Jazeera and major U.S. cable providers to carry the channel as of yet. Among those in the U.S. opposed to al-Jazeera's English-language launch is a group that accuses the network of being "anti-American" and "primarily known as a mouthpiece for al-Qaeda." Accuracy in Media (AIM), a conservative media watchdog, is behind Stop al-Jazeera, an online campaign to halt the spread of the network and its new international thrust. According to AIM Editor Cliff Kincaid, al-Jazeera has a "well documented record of collaborating with terrorist groups" like al Qaeda and the Islamic Army of Iraq. Kincaid told Cybercast News Service that broadcasting al-Jazeera in the U.S. would be the "equivalent of letting Tokyo Rose broadcast into the United States during World War II," referring to anti-U.S. English-language radio propaganda disseminated by Imperial Japan during the war. "If we lose the war there [in communication] like we did in Vietnam, we're going to lose the war on the battlefield," Kincaid said. "The enemy lies, and they distort, and they deceive, and there's no reason on earth why we should accommodate them." A September poll conducted by AIM found that 52 percent of Americans oppose al-Jazeera International's launch in the United States, while 29 percent support it. Additionally, 55 percent of respondents wanted the U.S. government to oppose the network's U.S. launch while 27 percent thought the government should support it. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
