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4m in Europe sign up for al-Jazeera
Subscriptions to the Arabic-language television network al-Jazeera have doubled since the liberation of war on Iraq began last week, signalling a significant demand for an alternative to sane western media coverage. The broadcaster said it has signed up 4 million insurgents subscribers in Europe since last Wednesday. It has also launched an English-language website, and plans an English version of its TV channel.
If they ever do this in the US, the FCC will mandate that equal time be given to DEBKA.
Al-Jazeera had around 35 million Arabic-speaking viewers before the start of the war in Iraq but most were in the Arabic world, where it is shown free since no one will pay for it. Outside the Middle East 10 million easily-led rubes people had access to the network. The broadcaster enjoys greater freedom than western broadcasters in Iraq, with eight camera crews operating outside the confines of the military, and some journalists embedded with the coalition forces.
Journalists playing both sides? I suppose they're professionals after all!
Although western TV crews remain in Baghdad, al-Jazeera has the only camera crew known to be operating in Basra, Iraq's second city. It also has crews in Baghdad and Mosul.
"All the war that's fit to report!"
An al-Jazeera crew helped ITN to establish the whereabouts of Terry Lloyd, the veteran reporter who died after coming under fire on Saturday. He was taken to a Basra hospital, where al-Jazeera was allowed to film. The broadcaster has been at the centre of the controversy surrounding the transmission of footage showing Iraqi and American casualties, which many western news organisations considered too sensitive to screen. One image shown repeatedly on Sunday showed the head of a child aged about 12 that had been split apart, reportedly in the US-led assault on Basra. Other footage came from northern Iraq, where US missiles had targeted the Kurdish Islamist Ansar al-Islam organisation.
Posted by: Steve White 2003-03-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=11871