Al Jazeera shifts centre of action from the USA
THE monopoly of news that used to be the prerogative of the very rich or the most powerful is no longer the case today. It is impossible to control information these days because the news will seep and spill out like rotten tomato anyway.
THE monopoly of news that used to be the prerogative of the very rich or the most powerful is no longer the case today. It is impossible to control information these days because the news will seep and spill out like rotten tomato anyway.
With just one computer terminal, WikiLeaks can spill the beans on the most powerful nation on earth. Syrian and Yemeni authorities, meanwhile, are learning the hard way that the world is a wired village with news outlets putting videos of the latest clashes with demonstrators within the hour after they have happened.
Indeed, after realizing that he was being outfoxed by opposition rebels who could speak directly to the world, beleaguered Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi, for example, adapted in a hurry by inviting the international press and putting them up in a cozy hotel in Tripoli to get his point of view across. The official Libyan news network had limited viewership. Even as Tripoli burns today, international news organisations are allowed in the city so that the world can get an alternative view to the news coming from the opposition in Benghazi. It was in the spirit of getting alternative programming that my household finally decided to go boldly where many North Americans have not gone before—we now subscribe to Al Jazeera English (AJE).
Now, this may come as news to those in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where the Qatar-based broadcast is a household name. In North America, Al Jazeera is still a best kept secret. In fact, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the body which regulates broadcasting in Canada gave the green light in November 2009 for Al Jazeera English to be carried in Canada. An earlier attempt to bring Al Jazeera Arabic had met with resistance from lobby groups that felt the network was a conduit for anti-Semitic editorials.
Meanwhile, the main sources of news were Canada’s big three—Global TV, CTV and CBC. In fact, except for the CBC which is a publicly funded network, I don’t watch much of Canadian news. Instead I am guilty of taking in American news. I must admit though that news is still washed for North American viewers.
At first, as the Arab Awakening intensified, I watched the live broadcast on the internet. The problem was that I had to always be in front of my computer to see what was happening out there. My interest in Al Jazeera was rekindled in March when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the news network. It was an off-the-cuff comment which nevertheless motivated me to look into getting Al Jazeera. I finally took matters into my hand and phoned my television cable provider. I told the personnel who answered the phone that I wanted Al Jazeera as one of the channels on my television. Yes, AJE was available but it would cost more money she said. How much more money, I asked. “Well, it would be $10 more on top of what you are paying now,†she responded. Did I want it, she asked. I told her that I wanted Al Jazeera but not willing to pay a dime more for it. The voice at the other end paused for a second then said, “Look, you need to speak to our customer service people, they might be able to do something. I will transfer the call.†The call was transferred. I repeated my demand for Al Jazeera. The personnel told me that there was absolutely no problem getting Al Jazeera and, in fact, now that I mention it, I could have Al Jazeera for free, and also get a roll-back on my monthly cable subscription fees. “What does that mean?†I growled. “It means you get Al Jazeera and all the other television channels you have always had, but pay twenty dollars less.â€
I sniffed into the phone—maybe there was a trick somewhere in there. There was no trick. This was competition kicking in, something many companies do in order to retain loyal customers. I have been a loyal subscriber with this cable network for over 12 years.
Al Jazeera is now the reality in our house. We might check CNN and the other channels once in a while, but quickly retreat into the comfort of Al Jazeera because it offers a different world view, one that allows the centre of the world to be somewhere else rather than the USA.
Opiyo.oloya@sympatico.ca
With just one computer terminal, WikiLeaks can spill the beans on the most powerful nation on earth. Syrian and Yemeni authorities, meanwhile, are learning the hard way that the world is a wired village with news outlets putting videos of the latest clashes with demonstrators within the hour after they have happened.
Indeed, after realizing that he was being outfoxed by opposition rebels who could speak directly to the world, beleaguered Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi, for example, adapted in a hurry by inviting the international press and putting them up in a cozy hotel in Tripoli to get his point of view across. The official Libyan news network had limited viewership. Even as Tripoli burns today, international news organisations are allowed in the city so that the world can get an alternative view to the news coming from the opposition in Benghazi. It was in the spirit of getting alternative programming that my household finally decided to go boldly where many North Americans have not gone before—we now subscribe to Al Jazeera English (AJE).
Now, this may come as news to those in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where the Qatar-based broadcast is a household name. In North America, Al Jazeera is still a best kept secret. In fact, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the body which regulates broadcasting in Canada gave the green light in November 2009 for Al Jazeera English to be carried in Canada. An earlier attempt to bring Al Jazeera Arabic had met with resistance from lobby groups that felt the network was a conduit for anti-Semitic editorials.
Meanwhile, the main sources of news were Canada’s big three—Global TV, CTV and CBC. In fact, except for the CBC which is a publicly funded network, I don’t watch much of Canadian news. Instead I am guilty of taking in American news. I must admit though that news is still washed for North American viewers.
At first, as the Arab Awakening intensified, I watched the live broadcast on the internet. The problem was that I had to always be in front of my computer to see what was happening out there. My interest in Al Jazeera was rekindled in March when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the news network. It was an off-the-cuff comment which nevertheless motivated me to look into getting Al Jazeera. I finally took matters into my hand and phoned my television cable provider. I told the personnel who answered the phone that I wanted Al Jazeera as one of the channels on my television. Yes, AJE was available but it would cost more money she said. How much more money, I asked. “Well, it would be $10 more on top of what you are paying now,†she responded. Did I want it, she asked. I told her that I wanted Al Jazeera but not willing to pay a dime more for it. The voice at the other end paused for a second then said, “Look, you need to speak to our customer service people, they might be able to do something. I will transfer the call.†The call was transferred. I repeated my demand for Al Jazeera. The personnel told me that there was absolutely no problem getting Al Jazeera and, in fact, now that I mention it, I could have Al Jazeera for free, and also get a roll-back on my monthly cable subscription fees. “What does that mean?†I growled. “It means you get Al Jazeera and all the other television channels you have always had, but pay twenty dollars less.â€
I sniffed into the phone—maybe there was a trick somewhere in there. There was no trick. This was competition kicking in, something many companies do in order to retain loyal customers. I have been a loyal subscriber with this cable network for over 12 years.
Al Jazeera is now the reality in our house. We might check CNN and the other channels once in a while, but quickly retreat into the comfort of Al Jazeera because it offers a different world view, one that allows the centre of the world to be somewhere else rather than the USA.
Opiyo.oloya@sympatico.ca