Al Jazeera International confirms launch date
Al Jazeera International, the new English-language news and current affairs channel will launch on Wednesday 15th November 2006.
As we reported earlier this month, tests of the new channel were moved up a notch when EPG data appeared suggesting a launch was imminent.
Al Jazeera International is the world’s first international English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East. It also has broadcast centres strategically placed in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, and supporting bureaux worldwide.
Al Jazeera International is part of the Al Jazeera Network and the sister channel to Al Jazeera. The announcement of the channel’s forthcoming launch on November 15th coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera Arabic language channel.
Al Jazeera’s English language website is being re-launched with the launch of the English language channel to reflect the channel�۪s look and feel and editorial content.
Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network said: “We are extremely proud of what Al Jazeera has achieved over the past ten years. Al Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al Jazeera International will build on the pioneering spirit of Al Jazeera and will carry our media model, based in the South, to the entire world. 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. The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world.”
“It has been a fantastic endeavour to build this TV channel over the last two years with the support of the Al Jazeera network. Everyone involved in the project deserves credit,” said Nigel Parsons, Managing Director, Al Jazeera International, “We will extend the Al Jazeera spirit into the English-speaking world.”
Al Jazeera International is expected to be carried on Sky Digital with a channel number to be announced closer to the launch date.
