Al-Jazeera International: Do Conservatives want to see it?

There have been many rumours around the net about the launch of Al-Jazeera International. So many and for so long, that this has become one of the most anticipated launches this year, on a par with the new channels from Channel 5 that launched recently, five US and five life, and the soon to launch international news channel France 24. But apparently not everyone is welcoming the new channel with open arms.

The conservative talk show hosts on US radio have been very negative towards Al-Jazeera, primarily because it has broadcast video messages from terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda. When CNN recently broadcast footage they obtained from a terrorist organisation in Iraq, the conservative side of politics went into massive uproar. The conservatives don't like anybody broadcasting what they call "...enemy propoganda..." and yet, if you are to truly understand any story, you have to be able to see it from both sides and all angles.

Recently, a column about Al-Jazeera International appeared in the Philadephia Enquirer, written by Gail Shister. In this column, Gail is very negative about AJI's launch, prsenting a lot of negative viewpoints about the channel. One very telling viewpoint, came from Matthew Felling of the Centre for Media and Public Affairs. On it's website, it declares itself to be.. "...a nonpartisan research and educational organization which conducts scientific studies of the news and entertainment media."

However, the truth offered by Mr Felling's comments to Gail Shister are very telling. In the column, Matthew Felling says that AJI's launch "...has about as much chance of happening as Rosie O'Donnell getting a show on Fox News... Even if AJI manages to happen everywhere around the world except the States, it won't make it. America was going to be the crown jewel of their entire enterprise. You either raise all the sails on the mast or wait until the wind is right."

Well, perhaps the CMPA should conduct better research, perhaps with a more open mind. I can watch the test transmissions on AJI on my satellite system here in the UK and I can say with some assurance that I believe this launch is going to happen. The video tests are definitely coming towards a conclusion, the Electronic Programme Guide data, which is a key indicator of readiness, is there, and for the first time, there has been an official press release naming an exact launch date. No media organisation ever announces an exact date publicly until they know they are ready, and all previous launch dates were either actually intended target dates, not confirmed launch dates, or they were nothing more than internet speculation.

Note to CMPA: Do better research before making comments, and try not to tow the conservative line. You are supposed to be non-partisan!