Viewers across Canada now have access to Al Jazeera English (AJE), a news service currently available in over 100 countries across the globe.
On Nov. 26, 2009, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission approved a request to add AJE to the list of eligible satellite services for distribution.
Al Jazeera is the first 24-hour news channel broadcasted in the Arab world, and was initially launched by the Emir of Qatar in 1996. Today it is the most-viewed channel in the Middle East, according to BBC.
The news channel’s mandate is to “broadcast the opinion, and the other opinion,” which has caused it to be a source of major controversy in many countries.
Al Jazeera English, its sister channel, is now the world’s first global English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East.
Ethnic Channels Group Limited submitted a request earlier last year for Al Jazeera English to broadcast in Canada.
Cheryl Grossi, acting director for CRTC western and northern regions, said that any broadcasting undertaking, whether it’s Canadian or foreign, has to receive approval from CRTC.
“The commission issued a notice of consultation [and] then the industry, the interested parties and the general public had an opportunity to provide their comments, whether they are in support of the application or not,” said Grossi.
The prospect of having Al Jazeera English available through Canadian cable companies or satellite providers was met with mixed reviews, although mostly positive.
According to a CRTC release, the commission received a large number of comments. “Over 2,600 parties filed comments in support of the request, approximately 40 parties filed comments in opposition and seven offered general comments,” said the report.
Many of those concerned feel that Al Jazeera will act only as a source of anti-Israeli propaganda, according to CBC News.
“Al Jazeera may masquerade as an unbiased, neutral media outlet, but it is fooling nobody,” Frank Dimat, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, told the Jewish Tribune.
According to Ethnic Channels Group, AJE has agreed to consult with representatives of the leading Jewish community organizations twice in the year following AJE’s launch in Canada.
CRTC’s report states that, in general, comments from supporting organizations referred to “the overall high quality of programming on AJE, the impressive international coverage the AJE provides, and the benefits to the Canadian broadcasting system that would result through increased programming diversity and provision of different perspectives on world issues.
Opposing comments, all submitted by individuals, held concerns that AJE would violate Canadian regulations, that their reporting is unbalanced, and that AJE is “incompatible with Canadian values.”
Tony Burman, the former editor in chief of CBC News is now the managing director at AJE.
Al Jazeera “will be controversial every day it exists. That’s almost the purpose of the organization: to keep stirring the pot so that change happens,” Burman said at a Canadian Journalism Foundation event in February 2009.
“The political baggage that is associated with Al-Jazeera is really limited to the United States, and thankfully no longer in Canada. I think the brand of Al-Jazeera is respected around the world,” Burman told CBC News.
Robin Super, a University of Winnipeg student, said he does not oppose the news network. “Al Jazeera is a news source. Like every other news source, it has its biases,” he said.
“I really think it’s actually a valuable asset to have as part of our news channels in Canada.
“Even though it might not agree with my view point too much, that’s not enough for it to be outlawed [ . . . ] It’s a democratic news source,” he said.
Grossi explains that even though CRTC licensed it, the individual cable companies have the discretion to determine whether or not they will offer the service.
“Ultimately, you as a consumer have to specifically request that you want that channel,” she said.
Shaw Cable in Winnipeg said they are not currently offering the service, however, the channel can be requested online.
“You’ll see countries and — dare I say — even continents that are often not even mentioned in North American media today. I think Canada, as one of the most multicultural countries in the world, will appreciate that,” Burman told CBC.
Aengus Bridgeman, chair of Amnesty International U of M, gets his news from a mixture of print and online sources. He receives both The Winnipeg Free Press and The Globe and Mail, in addition to using an RSS feed which provides online news from about 20 different sources, including CBC Manitoba, AJE and Reuters International.
Bridgeman said, in general he is content with the news sources provided by Western media.
“However, I still find British [and] American news to be fairly complete in dealing with most issues I find myself interested in.”
He said there is no harm in adding to the competition. “A robust and healthy competition to be the best international news station can only benefit the average Canadian.”
