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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Al-Jazeera America network shuts down Tuesday
NEW YORK (AP) — Al- limit to how much the com- This Aug. 20, 2013 file photo shows Al-Jazeera America editorial newsroom staff preparing for their
Jazeera America, which pany would spend. first broadcast in New York.
couldn’t attract an audi- Al-Jazeera America aired
ence to another cable a four-part documentary Associated Press
news network in the United produced with the BBC,
States, signs off Tuesday “The Limits of Hope: Inside operators believed the also proven an impediment ployees. It was not immedi-
night following a three- Obama’s White House,” marketplace had enough for some viewers at a time ately clear how many jour-
hour live farewell designed that wrapped up on Sun- news options. Al-Jazeera the U.S. was entangled in nalists are losing their jobs
to highlight its work since a day. bought the Current TV net- conflicts in the Middle East. as a result of the shutdown.
2013 launch. “We have time and time work founded by Al Gore Last year, AJAM ousted its AJAM had brought in some
The farewell begins at 6 again given voices to those and closed it in order to get top executive amid charg- TV journalists familiar to U.S.
p.m. EDT and will be re- across America whose sto- space on cable systems. es of anti-Semitism and a audiences, such as Antonio
peated immediately be- ries would not have been The Al-Jazeera name had culture of fear among em- Mora and Ali Velshi.q
fore Al-Jazeera America told in such depth without
goes dark. Local cable the attention of our report-
and satellite operators will ers,” said Kate O’Brian, Al-
decide what replaces the Jazeera America president.
channel in their markets. “We are incredibly grateful
The Qatar-based Al- to our audience in the U.S.,
Jazeera network an- and we are deeply proud
nounced in January that of the coverage.”
it was shutting down the Its most attention-getting
U.S.-based offshoot, calling work included a December
it an economic decision. documentary linking pro-
Backed by a deep-pock- fessional athletes to perfor-
eted parent company, Al- mance-enhancing drugs.
Jazeera America began One player mentioned,
with lofty goals of offering quarterback Peyton Man-
serious-minded news and ning, called the report
won some awards for its “complete garbage.”
work. But when few peo- Between CNN, Fox News
ple watched and oil prices Channel and MSNBC,
plummeted, there was a many viewers and cable
