LOS ANGELES (AP) — With its purchase of left-leaning Current TV, the Pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera has fulfilled a long-held quest to reach tens of millions of U.S. homes. But its new audience immediately got a little smaller.

The nation's second-largest TV operator, Time Warner Cable Inc., dropped Current after the deal was confirmed Wednesday, a sign that the channel will have an uphill climb to expand its reach. "Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.

Still, the acquisition of Current, the news network that cofounded by former Vice President Al Gore, boosts Al-Jazeera's reach in the U.S. beyond a few large U.S. metropolitan areas including New York and Washington nearly ninefold to about 40 million homes.
Gore confirmed the sale Wednesday, saying in a statement that Al-Jazeera shares Current TV's mission "to give voice to those who are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the stories that no one else is telling."

Al-Jazeera, owned by the government of Qatar, plans to gradually transform Current into a network called Al-Jazeera America by adding five to 10 new U.S. bureaus beyond the five it has now and hiring more journalists. More than half of the content will be U.S. news and the network will have its headquarters in New York, spokesman Stan Collender said.

Collender said there are no rules against foreign ownership of a cable channel — unlike the strict rules limiting foreign ownership of free-to-air TV stations. He said the move is based on demand, adding that 40 percent of viewing traffic on Al-Jazeera English's website is from the U.S.

"This is a pure business decision based on recognized demand," Collender said. "When people watch Al-Jazeera, they tend to like it a great deal." Previous to Al-Jazeera's purchase, Current TV was in 60 million homes. It is carried by Comcast Corp., which owned less than a 10 percent stake in Current TV, as well as DirecTV. Neither company announced plans to drop the channel.

http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1797088-pan-arab-al-jazeera-buys-current-tv-al-gore.html#.7518-stage-set1-3

Current TV, founded in 2005 by former vice president Gore and Joel Hyatt, is expected to post $114 million in revenue in 2013, according to research firm SNL Kagan. The firm pegged the network's cash flow at nearly $24 million a year.

Wow, talk about a huge target for hackers!

Just think, now we can watch Al-Jazeera from the comfort of our own home.

http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/al-z-jazeera-the-current-truth-t10466.html




Current TV, the current truth channel owned by Al Gore has just sold to Al'z Jazeera for $400,000,000. Way to go Al, let's warm up the USA with a little Muslim agitprop. The science is in comrades. Things are indeed heating up.


Since current USSA law bars foreign ownership of a broadcast station -- let alone network -- how fortunate it is that this network is distributed by cable, and is therefore exempt from such silly rules and regulatons.

Our Dear Leader (PBUH) has not issued a statement of congratulations to Al ("Jazeera") Gore from his Dacha in the People's Republic of Hawaii.

Now our corpulent comrade will be able to keep his private jet staffed with a cabin crew of hookers for every occasion.
No more hotel employee embarrassment for himself or traveling companion Michael Moore, a couple of real intellectual heavyweights!

This is most excellent news as we all know Algore will willingly pay his Fair Share™ of that windfall to the Peoples Lockbox™.

I can feel my chakra being released just thinking about this.

He's still pissed off for not getting elected. Dam thoses hanging chads.

still demanding a Recount I suppose!

Sad ... and getting sadder.

From what I read in this thread, I take it that Al gore got caught more than once telling "A Convenient Untruth" or two eh?