News has not been in short supply in the global village in the satellite age.
There are the “Indian” English news channels: NDTV 24×7, CNN-IBN, Times Now, Headlines Today. And the Hindi news channels: Aaj Tak, Star News, NDTV India, IBN 7, DD News, India TV. And the language news channels: Udaya, Sun, Suvarna, TV9, Teja, IBN Lokmat. And the business news channels: CNBC-TV18, NDTV Profit, UTVi. And the “foreign” English news channels: CNN, BBC, Fox.
Why, in this veritable welter of vaartha, do we not receive Al Jazeera?
The ground-breaking Qatar-based Arabic channel launched an English version more than a year-and-a-half ago. Staffed with big names, not short of resources, and not short of good ideas, “Al-Jazeera English” provides a much-needed respite from the stuffiness of its western competitors and from the itsy-bitsyness of their Indian counterparts. Yet, few Indian homes receive the Arab view of the world.
And so, it transpires, don’t homes in the land of the free and the independent.
America’s ultra-patriotic cable networks have steadfastly refused to carry “Al Jazeera English”. Result: the channel is only available to those who choose to sample its fare online on YouTube, or buy a dish antenna.
The channel has been accused of “hate-mongering” towards Americans; of inciting “violence, hatred and murder” against Israelis and Jews; of waging a “soft, subtle, cultural jihad”; of being a propaganda tool—charges that could be flung on those making them with equal efficacy. Nonetheless, the manner in which Al Jazeera English has been blacked out in the United States raises the simple question: who decides what we should watch, and what we shouldn’t?
The tiny town of Burlington (population 39,000) in “liberal” Vermont is an exception (along with Toledo, Ohio). There, the City owns the cable network, and has been offering subscribers “Al Jazeera English”. After complaints from pro-Israeli groups, public hearings have been held, where those in favour of the channel outnumbered those against 6-1 and a decision will soon be made.
“Al Jazeera is an opportunity for us to learn more. If anyone doesn’t want to learn more, there is a simple solution: they can switch to a different channel.”
“There is a cable news network that I personally think if full of hatred, full of propaganda, full of half-truths, and that is Fox News.”
Cross-posted on sans serif
Sir,
A very valid point Even some of the regional channels provide better news than these socalled mainline English channels who look same carbon copies of CNN and BBC. They also put their advts in unison so that you cannot switch channels.
Why not Pakistan TV? i will say the little known Lok Sabha TV covers much more interesting news with lot of Independence not shown by these private channels.
If they dont like the name in India, it can be made “Aalo Zeera”
Al Jazeera is available in the UK on the network of that Right Wing prophet- R Murdock- Sky Network! The best news channel and better than BBC News – the only channel I would give an interview when I win the Nobel for Medicine:)
I think it will just come down to my KEB (karnataka electricity board) and the line man of my ward. Coz they are the only unpredicatable guys of everything I know that is to come to me.
Like I know I can have an IPTV (internet protocol televisions) i.e. is a TV connected to the internet where you give a search on what you want to watch using a remote. Like we all search on google, and then click on the link to open realtime video streaming from BBC, CNN, Aljazeera whatever. So basically you have used internet to search the channel you wanted to view on your TV.
I can even trust the Internet guys like Airtel, Reliance coz they want to grow business and grow India even.
So the government is a spoilsport as KEB is still under its domain. The can ask whichever state or country to pull of electricity whenever.
My local TV guy in his infinite wisdom restricts me to only BBC, not even CNN . And he chucks out BBC also whenever he has to show three sports channels. In “normal” times, I have to make do with just two sports channels (whichever he is in a mood to show) and BBC.
Are Al Jazeera, Hindu Brahmins!?
It is time dish television service providers like Tata Sky and Dish TV start offerring Al Jazeera to Indian viewers for alternative views on international issues.
I am glad that Churumuri has taken up the issue. I think the world has had enough of the falsehood and lies spread by USA. Al Jazeera may not necessarily tell the gospel truth, but at least there will be a different view.
After the world realised that the war on Iraq was fought on a false premise (a blatant lie that Bush espoused), the need for people to watch channels like Al Jazeera has become necessary.
Wasn’t it the channels like CNN and Fox News, which led the world and India to believe the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Where are the weapons. Did the marauding US soldiers find them. I think the cable providers in India and other dish tv service providers owe the television viewers in India an explanation.
Allowing access to Jaljeera TV will only replace american/british imperial propaganda with Arabic Imperial propaganda…it is upto the viewers of India, to decide which imperialism they like most :)
Why only Al Jazeera of all the TV stations of the world? Why not a Japanese one, or a Russian one or a Brazilian one so that we get their perspective of the world events? While at it, why not a Cuban channel or one from Venezuela so that we can all watch the Castro & Chavez bashing of America & Bush?
But seriously, people normally need only their local news channels – at least one that caters to their city, few that caters to their state, and few that caters to their country. I don’t know how many people really look for foreign TV stations, but my guess is very few (percentage wise). Now-a-days if people want more detailed foreign news, they can always get them using internet.
Chet,
Al Jazeera, because it is good.
Post a link of any other good channel’s video clip and make the same comment.
Let alone Al Jazeera, last seen even PTV had some great content! :D
“The Xindua” (currently a newspaper published from Chennai, aka “The Chindu”) is anyway going to come up with a news channel along with NDTV (another commie channel). So we will not be starved of “alternate” views.
Al Jazeera is offered in BSNL IPTV.
The less the money to be made from media and news, better the content!! seems to be a paradigm I have noted.
Seems like “The World This Week’ and Raghav Behl hosted biz shows on BBC were far better than their own NDTV and CNNIBN. Today, both have succumbed to crass commercialization. Am sure many of us also rue the dumbing down of virtually every newspaper and magazine in the last few years when these NP and mags have seen multi-fold increase in ads. Sad!!
When we are getting QTV, am sure days of getting AlJazeera is not far. It is just a question of demand. The cable guy will supply anything free that is demanded.