A brand-new media TV channel owned by the royal family of Qatar just debuted in the United States this Tuesday. Al Jazeera America promises to present only straight news without the usual opinions the American viewer is used to. But can such a media be successful in the U.S., considering it bears an Arabic name in the first place?
The news channel has shown to be accurate, responsible and serious, at least so far. Many argue that this won’t last long – after all, all media is all the same. But now the channel proves to be “the real thing”. It is reporting on the facts without any additional comments, opinions or arguments, which American media is usually accused for broadcasting. So far, Al Jazeera America (AJA) is proving that you can show the news by only delivering objectively information to the population. However, many wonder whether this would be enough to succeed on the flooded North American market, where consumers are increasingly turning to online TV.
The first problem is the access to the public. Al Jazeera English was aired in 2006 in the U.S. as an English-language version of Al Jazeera. But cable companies didn’t include it in their programs, so nobody could even receive it. But in the beginning of this year, the Emir of Qatar bought the average Current TV for $500 million which was co-owned by Al Gore. This move provided Al Jazeera with valid contracts with cable operators. It was supposed to reach to 45 to 100 million homes in the country, but on Tuesday night, one of the cable operators just stopped airing AJA.
This is not the only problem for the TV channel, say experts. Many Americas associate its name with broadcasts of Osama bin Laden’s videos for exterminating the West. Of course, everyone is now paying more attention on how AJA will cover the conflict in Egypt. So far, it seems to be absolutely professional and objective, much to the surprise of those who suspect it of Anti-Americanism.
