Arab news channel for SA pay-TV

Johannesburg – MultiChoice, an international company providing entertainment, technology and e-commerce services, has announced the addition of Al Jazeera English to their platform. The recently launched 24-hour international news and current affairs channel, which is part of the world renowned Al Jazeera Network, will go live on MultiChoice's DStv platform, channel 62, on 31 May 2007 at 10h00 CAT (Central African Time).

Al Jazeera English has broadcasting centres in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC and supporting bureaus world-wide and is the first English language global news and current affairs channel to be headquartered in the Middle East, in Doha – Qatar. It broadcasts to more than 90 million cable and satellite households worldwide and is available through live streaming and on YouTube. The station broadcasts news, current affairs, features, analysis, documentaries, live debates, entertainment, business and sport and builds on Al Jazeera Arabic channel's groundbreaking developments in the Arab and Muslim world.

Al Jazeera English has a strong presence and high level of expertise in Africa through its bureaus and dedicated resources. The Channel currently has bureaus in Cairo, Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), Nairobi, Johannesburg and Harare and shares the resources of Al Jazeera Arabic Channel's African bureaus in N'Djamena (Chad), Tripoli (Libya), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Rabat (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Mogadishu (Somalia), Johannesburg and Khartoum (Sudan).

Unique access to Zimbabwe

In pursuing a news agenda that is all-inclusive, Al Jazeera English is the only global news channel to be granted a license to operate a bureau in Zimbabwe, giving the channel unique access to this part of southern Africa.

MultiChoice's general manager of content, Aletta Alberts said the new development will enhance the company's offering as it provides news and information across cultures, providing a new perspective and also exposure to stories previously untold.”

Director General of the Al Jazeera Network, Wadah Khanfar said, “Our deep commitment to the profession of journalism and our broad presence in Africa with our dedicated resources bring an additional depth of coverage to the important issues and stories in Africa. We are excited at the access that this agreement has given viewers in Africa and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Multichoice.”

Nigel Parsons, Managing Director at Al Jazeera English commented, “We are delighted that MultiChoice will be carrying Al Jazeera English and that they recognise the growing hunger for accurate, impartial and objective news. This agreement allows MultiChoice to offer people more choice in their news consumption.”