Al Jazeera America folds morning programming

American Thinker ^ | 01/13/2015 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

John Nolte of Breitbart aptly summarizes the changes announced by Al Jazeera America: “The collapse begins.”

Instead of producing its own programming, the basement-rated cable news network will simply re-broadcast Al Jazeera programs from its parent studio in Qatar. Also canceled is the late morning program, “Consider This With Antonio Mora.”

Mediabistro reports that behind-the-scenes staffers will be reassigned and “the fate of on-air talent is unclear.” Variety, however, reports that primetime anchors Ali Velshi and Joie Chen will have less airtime and mid-to-late afternoon programming is also on the chopping block.

Is it a coincidence that oil prices have halved, cutting the income of the emir of Qatar by a similar percentage?  The Saudis have recently announced that they don’t expect hundred-dollar-a-barrel prices to return, a forecast that sent as many shivers to Qatar as to North Dakota.

Al Jazeera America’s ratings are anemic, drawing about as many viewers as a decent talk radio station has listeners in a medium-sized market.  But they grew late last year on the strength of its coverage of Ferguson and other racial strife.

As Nolte points out, AJA has developed no traction whatsoever in the rest of the American media, who ignore its reporting and have not allowed any of its stories to break out.

You have to feel at least a teeny bit sorry for the talent who heeded the siren song of a supposedly unlimited checkbook and the chance to get in on the ground floor of a new news operation.  Jobs in the news biz are hard to get, and there is a lot more wannabe talent than there are slots available – and not just for on-air talent, but also the editors and writers. 

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Is Dave Marash still with Al Jaz?

[FlingWingFlyer]

Algorezeera sold Aljazeera a lemon.

[PROCON]

Have we had any reports yet by the other drivebys that this is clearly another example of the out of control Islamophobia here in America?

[catfish1957]

Adios mofos....

[Red Badger]

All Jizz Era...................

[dfwgator]

Now if only the same happened to MSNBC.

[max americana]

I met some of their staffers here in L.A. as they have sort of an office here. From what was told to me, they’re mostly rejects who could not get a job at CNN. I was nice to them as they had hot chicks working for them too LOL. Too bad they’ll be unemployed.

[Snickering Hound]

"And no, you can't have your money back."

[Red Badger]

The All Jizz Era is cumming to an end......................

[catfish1957]

Never will happen. MSNBC is a tiny venture being subsidized by the GE conglomerate.

[SevenofNine]

OHHH I love Consider this

[SevenofNine]

Now I hearing Al Jazeera suing Al Gore

I don’t know who root for on that lawsuit

[SevenofNine]

I was big fan of Al Jazeera English news during Arab spring 2011 personally I been watching BBC world news on internatial news coverage on other stuff

I think what really shot Al Jazeera in the foot they try TMZ their stories if you know what show more ET programming

There is docuemetary series Faultline is pretty good

I think Al Jazeera probably get majority of news gather from Al Jazeera English which is good news network they still stick news coverage

[DannyTN]

[UCANSEE2]

“Instead of producing its own programming, the basement-rated cable news network will simply re-broadcast Al Jazeera programs from its parent studio in Qatar.”

As mentioned on another thread... was this their goal in the first place ?

[UCANSEE2]

You do understand that they aren’t going to STOP broadcasting AL JAZEERA TV on that station ?

All they are doing is stopping the American made version of AJ TV and giving American viewers the foreign AJ TV.

[I want the USA back]

Guess there’s no market for towelhead-a$$wipe-burka-jihadi-headchopper propaganda.

[Charles Martel]

Algorezeera sold Aljazeera a lemon.

Maybe there will be a fatwa issued for Fat Al.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

But DirectTV won’t sell time to Beck for The Blaze TV.