Al Jazeera America Shuts Down After 32 Months Operations
KABUL: (MEP) Al Jazeera America has closed down it operations on Tuesday after a costly and failed effort to break into the United States cable news market.
The channel was launched 32 months before by the international media group based in the Qatari capital, Doha, but fell far short of viewership and advertising goals.
The farewell begins at 6 p.m. EDT and will be repeated immediately before Al-Jazeera America goes dark. Local cable and satellite operators will decide what replaces the channel in their markets.
The decision to close the channel was announced in January and was set to be completed with the airing of a three-hour live farewell showing the channel’s coverage since its launch.
“We have been privileged to cover stories of people who epitomise the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Individuals who have fought for good, who have tackled adversity, whose stories and voices deserve coverage,” the group said in a statement.
“There are so many more people across America whose stories remain untold. Those stories need to be heard.”
The media group paid some USD 500 million to launch the US-based offshoot known as AJAM. The outlet, however, could not compete with American news channels to attract audience in the US.
The outlet, which competed against CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, did not release viewership data but some reports said its audience was only around 30,000 for the key prime-time hours.
In mid-2013, the channel went live after hiring some 850 staff and opening 12 bureaus across the United States and a state-of-the art studio in New York.
It faced a series of problems in addition to low viewership: lawsuits alleged an inhospitable work environment and the channel faced criticism for its report linking NFL star Peyton Manning to a banned growth hormone.
However, AJAM was recognised for its reporting, including winning Emmy and Peabody awards.
