The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan 2013, Tim Goodman: "When the Qatar-owned 24-hour news channel bought Current for a reported $500 million, it was an attempt to get into the U.S. market, where it had barely penetrated and is seen mostly through its website and some streaming sites. Time Warner Cable first announced it wouldn't carry the channel but now seems more on the fence about that decision. ... It’s not a 'terrorist' channel, it’s not run by al-Qaeda, it’s not trying to convert Christians into Muslims – pick whatever instilled bias you’d like. Americans can find out all they want by simply watching the newscasts and reports – you can go online and do that. Or they could research a bit and have their worries erased (though they are unlikely to). The hope here is that Al Jazeera America does break through into our market because international news coverage is the weakest link in this country’s televised news landscape. CNN is far and away the best provider of that coverage, but one look at either BBC News or Al Jazeera will tell you that they cover the rest of the world with a vigor not seen through your screen if all you watch is CNN, Fox News or MSNBC. Beyond that, foreign coverage of this country gives a vastly different perspective of what’s going on. That kind of variety would be mighty useful – and potentially very popular. ... If CNN dismisses Al Jazeera America as a minor player, it does so at its own peril. That’s because Al Jazeera America covers the world better than CNN and if it wins on that front it will seize more viewers – primarily from CNN. ... Al Jazeera America ... could really push CNN in one of two directions – both diametrically opposed. Take on the newcomer toe-to-toe or shift the camera to something a lot lighter and more popular."

CNN, 7 Jan 2013, Howard Kurtz: "[W]hen I went to the home page of Al Jazeera English the other day, there was video of David Frost, the acclaimed British journalist who now works for the main network, interviewing Israeli President Shimon Peres. That's not to say Al Jazeera America, the working name for the new channel, won't have its own biases. Al Jazeera English is sometimes determined to paint the U.S. in a negative light. During a report on President Barack Obama signing a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which entails a legitimate controversy over civil liberties, the reporter said flatly that the law 'violate(s) U.S. constitutional rights in the name of national security.' ... I [don't] want to prejudge Al Jazeera America. The marketplace will decide its fate. But there is something unsettling about Gore making off with such a big payday from a government-subsidized channel after making such bad television. Nice work if you can get it."

WND.com, 6 Jan 2013, Aaron Klein: "Al Jazeera, which this week announced it purchased Al Gore’s Current TV for $500 million, has a long history of close ties to and support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera’s founders, themselves close to the Muslim Brotherhood, have long attempted to gain influence in the U.S., including through the financing of Arabic classes in American public schools via a Muslim Brotherhood-linked charity."

NPR, 6 Jan 2013, Bob Wheelock, Al-Jazeera's executive producer for the Americas, as interviewed by Rachel Martin: "What we do is try to produce news broadcasts that are editorially correct. They're not always politically correct. We take a couple of hits for that. You know, there's a certain hypocrisy involved in some of the people who've criticized, you know, you got a tape from al-Qaida and you've ran it. First of all, it's not run until it's authenticated, and I happen to know being at another network at the time, you know, the foreign desk was often calling and trying to see if they could get that tape."

Washington Examiner, 6 Jan 2013, Sean Higgins: "The Washington Post ran a fascinating op-ed column ... by Gary Wasserman ... [who] concedes that Al Jazeera’s reporters – who strive to 'appear' to be balanced, remember – are 'a bit' obsessed with Israel. Other than that? Nothing to fear."

Gannett News Service, 6 Jan 2013, Michele Chabin: "Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli research institute that studies Palestinian society and the Arab world through its media and educational materials, said there is 'a big difference" between Al Jazeera's Arabic programming and its international English-language broadcasts. The Arab broadcasts very often promote a very radical Islamist approach,' he said. 'What's brilliant,' Marcus said, is the way the company 'binds this in with all the latest technology and even occasionally interviews with differing opinions, including Israeli leaders.' This creates a 'perception' of balanced reporting, Marcus said, 'but in fact, the overall underlying agenda is very radical.'"

TriplePundit, 7 Jan 2013, Leon Kaye: "Not only was this the best possible deal for a dying cable TV news channel, but the acquisition of Current TV could be positive news for a TV audience who struggle to find a decent source of news."

Journal Register (Connecticut), 7 Jan 2013, Andy Thibault: "Why do I want the opportunity to see Al Jazeera English or the fledgling Al Jazeera America via my local cable provider? Because they cover a lot of stories I won’t see on ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS or CNN. Europeans have easy access to news networks from Japan, France, China and Russia. It shouldn’t be a problem for diversity of thought and reporting to be a part of the basic cable package here at home – even outside the major markets."

OneNewsNow, 8 Jan 2013, Becky Yeh: "California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has announced that he will not work for Al Jazeera -- the network that has purchased Al Gore's Current TV. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsom says he will not work for the pro-Arab network because of possible legal issues. The Democratic public official doubles as the host of the 'Gavin Newsom Show,' and working for a network owned by a foreign government could present legalities."

Washington Times, 7 Jan 2013, Frank J. Gaffney Jr: "Let’s call it Al Goreera. This seems a fitting title for the new network that former Vice President Al Gore is launching with the jihadists’ favorite television outlet: Al-Jazeera. The effect will be to create vast new opportunities for our enemies to propagandize the American people, a key ingredient of their 'civilization jihad' against our country. It is hard to overstate the magnitude of this treachery. ... Regrettably, the Federal Communications Commission has washed its hands of this transaction claiming, in the words of a spokesman, it 'doesn’t have regulatory oversight of transactions relating to ownership of cable networks.' It’s a safe bet that the deeply Islamist-penetrated Department of Justice won’t intervene, either. In light of the stakes, Congress must inject itself into the matter. At the very least, Al-Jazeera America should be obliged to register as a foreign agent."

Quartz, 7 Jan 2013, Christopher Mims: "[I]t shouldn’t come as a surprise if some House Republicans decide to cast a spotlight on the US expansion plans of a network still associated by many Americans with its early broadcast of al-Qaeda videos."

Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan 2013, Daoud Kuttab: "Some might argue that the differences between Al Jazeera Arabic and international Al Jazeera amount to deception or hypocrisy. But CNN has an international version, a Turkish version and a Mexican version. If you watch the U.S. domestic version versus the international broadcast, you will see a marked difference in the news lineup and the time spent on various topics."

Huffington Post, 7 Jan 2013, Emily Swanson: "By a nearly 2-to-1 plurality, Americans approve of Time Warner Cable's decision to drop Current TV from its lineup after the news channel was acquired by Al Jazeera, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll found. According to the new survey, 41 percent of Americans said they approve of Time Warner's decision, while 22 percent said they disapprove. Time Warner announced the decision to drop Current TV almost immediately after the Al Jazeera sale was made public, but then said it would consider carrying Al Jazeera America, which will be replacing Current TV. Republicans in the survey approved of the Time Warner decision 65 percent to 13 percent, and independents backed it 42 percent to 22 percent. Democrats, however, divided equally between those approving (26 percent) and disapproving (27 percent). Older Americans were more likely than younger Americans to support the cable giant's decision."

Huffington Post, 7 Jan 2013, Courtney C. Radsch: "I think it is unlikely that people who were not already inclined to watch foreign broadcasts, such as BBC or Al Jazeera English, or stream Al Jazeera online, are going to rush to check out Al Jazeera America. France 24, CCTV, Russia Today and a host of other English-language news stations barely make a blip on the radar and it is unclear what Al Jazeera's editorial plan is. ... If AJ focuses on the plight of the disenfranchised in America, and gives voice to the voiceless here at home, it would certainly be doing a service but would undoubtedly lead to further charges of anti-Americanism. I think it is the rising number of children living in poverty, the proportion of homeless families and veterans, the citizens unable to afford healthcare and education, that is truly anti-American, not the coverage of such issues. But it remains to be seen what the plan for coverage in the U.S. will be and what, precisely, Al Jazeera's goals for the U.S. are. Stay tuned."

Al Jazeera English, Listening Post, 5 Jan 2013: "This week: A Listening Post special - Whistleblowing and the US media. On the campaign trail four years ago, US presidential candidate Barack Obama said: 'Often the best source of information about waste, fraud and abuse in government is a government employee committed to public integrity, willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism ... should be encouraged rather than stifled.' As president, the reality has been very different. During his first term in office, six whistleblowers have been charged under the Espionage Act for allegedly mishandling classified information. That is twice as many as all previous presidents combined. ... In the first half of this full edition special, we blow the whistle on President Obama's America."

See previous post about same subject.