Al Jazeera Plans for 2006--look who's doing their PR....

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com


3//The Hindustan Times, India Mumbai, September 20, 2005

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1496034,0008.htm



AL JAZEERA IN ENGLISH, COMING TO INDIA

Bobby Anthony


Coming soon to your living room: George W Bush’s worst media headache.



Arab channel Al Jazeera, which has repeatedly trumped White House spinmeisters with Al Qaeda exclusives and hard-hitting coverage from Afghanistan and Iraq, is set to launch its 24-hour, global English service.



The free-to-air channel will be beamed across India and the world some time during the first quarter of 2006, managing director Nigel Parsons told Hindustan Times on Tuesday from his headquarters in Doha, Qatar.



Officially owned by the Qatar government, the channel will be fully financed by the Emir of Qatar. Some familiar faces, including ex-CNN anchor Riz Khan, will be seen on the channel.



SNIP


Refuting allegations that the channel is pro-Osama Bin Laden, Parsons said, “I would take the allegations of critics like the Heritage Foundation, which is an extremely right-wing neocon think tank, with a pinch of salt. We’re not anti-West and we’ve not broadcast any beheadings. Even Western TV channels have interviewed Chechen terrorists like Shamil Basayev”.



Ironically, America is a prime business target for Al Jazeera. “Americans form the biggest chunk of visitors to our English-language web site. We are in the process of discussing distribution alliances with US satellite and cable networks,” Parsons said.



(SNIP)



Incidentally, it has retained Brown Lloyd James, a PR company that was one of two firms hired to build political support for one-time CIA man and Bush administration ally Iyad Allawi during his successful 2003 bid to become Iraqi prime minister.



The channel has also begun sending out feelers to the new Iraqi government. “We are planning to reopen our Baghdad bureau which the Americans shut down. We’re also very keen to have a Teheran bureau. We will be there if Iran is attacked,” Parsons said.

[Eric J in MN]

1. I don't want the US to go to war with Iran.

We've already had two wars under the Bush Administation.

So many people have already been killed by American bombs.

[Skink]

2. Bin Laden live and in your living room.

[ret5hd]

3. bullshit. what makes you say that?

some of the most honest reporting of the war has come from al jazeera. if you are saying that AJ is a mouthpiece of mouthpiece of muslim extremists, i say again...bullshit.

[Skink]

4. I wasn't passing Judgement. They air his tapes.

:popcorn:

[ret5hd]

5. skink-propagator of RW talking points...

I'm not passing judgement. He just did

.:popcorn: