Al Jazeera English to apply for Canadian distribution

Al Jazeera English (AJE) says it's willing to open a Canadian bureau if the CRTC approves its pending application for cable and satellite carriage in this country. The news channel, which is already seen in more than 130 million households worldwide, will apply to the CRTC to obtain a place on the list of Eligible Satellite services. It hopes to launch in Canada this fall. While this is the first application to the CRTC for carriage of AJE, the Arabic-language Al Jazeera has already been approved for distribution, although no BDU is currently offering the channel. ECG (Ethnic Channels Group) will present the application to the CRTC acting in their capacity as the channel's sponsor. ECG is a Canadian multi-ethnic broadcaster, which currently offers 12 television channels to Canadian cable and satellite systems. AJE says it has received informal indications from Canada's major cable and satellite carriers that it will broadcast the English channel once CRTC approval has been granted. AJE has more than 1200 employees worldwide, representing more than 45 nationalities, including many Canadians - the channel's managing director, Tony Burman, is a Canadian and former editor in chief of the CBC. "It is clear to us there is a significant demand for AJE in Canada," Tony Burman, managing director of AJE said in a release. "Our website receives 22 million visits every month with over 50% coming from North America, and our branded YouTube page is by far the most popular news site on YouTube. These numbers alone show how hungry Canadians are for the fearless, groundbreaking reporting that runs daily on AJE." To garner support for the channel, AJE has launched "IWantAJE.ca", which provides information on the network and offers interested individuals the chance to send electronic letters directly to their cable or satellite provider requesting that the channel is carried.

Al Jazeera English to apply for Canadian distribution

Brief | February 17, 2009

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