I think, you could argue, that it was because the majority of al Qaeda videos came to AJ as opposed to other broadcasters such as CNN or the BBC?
Although of course the reason for that was mostly practical - why would they get the tapes to anyone else? Also of course AJ's rivals weren't exactly reticent to show them.
Quote:
As for the Muslim Brotherhood, no idea on their relationship with each other
No and the linking of them in the article does pre-suppose that such a relationship is a bad thing.
AJE has suffered with some obvious editorial-pushing in recent months - i.e. insignificant Qatar does XYZ at the UN type stories - and still struggles with covering matters in its home country, but you couldn't pin a pro-Muslim brotherhood bias on the English network, not easily anyway.
But the idea that AJA was a mouthpeice for Al Qaeda because they showed some of their videos is a bit strong. I don't know how a TV network could sit on those sorts of videos, especially after 9/11. As for the MB accusation I'd like to know if the author speaks arabic and can understand the channel's content.
by the way, if AJA is doing a lot of work... where is Current TV broadcasting right now?
As I understand it, Current TV rents studio space at 33rd and 10th Streets in Manhattan, whereas Al Jazeera America is reportedly basing itself out of the New Yorker Hotel a few blocks east.
It's strange that Current TV is still broadcasting as they always have. Originally, AJ said that Current would be replaced with a 24/7 simulcast of AJE on April 1 until AJ America was ready. I guess they ditched that idea.
That's from what was, until a week or two ago, ABC's 'This Week' studio. Since George Stephanopoulos (who returned as main presenter in 2012) is still the main weekday co-host of GMA in New York, most editions of This Week now originate from New York instead of the Newseum. Only about 12 editions a year will come from DC (hosted by Martha Radatz) and they'll now come from ABC's DC bureau.
AJA apparently have also taken over office and editing space from ABC at the Newseum, but I think this is the first confirmation they'll be using it as a "studio space", as opposed to a fancy DTL position.
Finally, AJA have just hired NBC's Mike Viqueira as its White House correspondent. Viqueira covered the WH at weekends and for MSNBC during the week until last year, when he moved back to Capitol Hill. Curious, as from memory he expressed his delight on Twitter at being back to his 'beloved' Hill. Then again, as NBC have Kelly O'Donnell and Luke Russert covering the Hill and three WH correspondents, he'll be in a much more high-profile position at AJA.
They were never going to use the old Current facilities, apparently it came from somewhere in California and their place was unsuitable for AJ US.
Current is based in San Francisco, and their previous studios were in Los Angeles, but almost all of their original shows from the Keith Olbermann era to today come from rented space in New York.
Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and later Viewpoint, came from New York, but The Young Turks aned The War Room were based in Los Angeles as I understand it. Not sure where Joy Behar's show comes from.