Free Republic

Last week, the same day the New York Times reported the oil-rich Islamic republic of Qatar continues to fund and arm Muslim terrorists throughout the Middle East (and beyond), a press release arrived, another designed to publicize all the top-flight international soccer that now can be seen on our local cable systems as delivered by the beIN Sports network. Omitted — read: carefully hidden from view — in the press release, as usual, was the fact beIN is owned by Qatar and the royal Al Thani family — rulers of Qatar for more than 150 years — as a division...

Al Jazeera is coming to America — courtesy of former Vice President Al Gore and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt. The Arab network, funded by Qatar, has just bought Current TV — the low rated liberal cable station Gore and Hyatt founded — for a reported $500 million. The deal gives the anti-Israeli Arab network access to 40 million homes in the United States. Beyond bringing anti-Israeli propaganda into these new American outlets, Al Jazeera has a long record as the chosen news outlet for Al Qaeda and other terrorist cells. It was through them that Osama bin Laden would regularly post...

Television commentator Keith Olbermann has been fired by Current TV, the network's founders said on Friday, after just a year with the network.The founders of the public affairs TV channel, former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore and his business partner Joel Hyatt, announced Olbermann's departure in an open letter. "Current was ... founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it," they said.

Offering a glimpse of the independent network first announced at last year's National Cable & Telecommunications Association convention, former Vice President Al Gore and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, joined by executives and on-air talent, revealed this morning that the name of the new venture, formerly known as INdTV, will be Current. The unveiling of the much-anticipated network's positioning, logo and prototype programming reel took place at a press conference in Current's San Francisco headquarters during NCTA '05.

NO CLEAR ACCESSFormer vice president Al Gore claims his new cable network won't be liberal in tone, just hip. But judging by his investors, even-handedness isn't going to cut it. Beyond Gore's partner in the deal, Joel Hyatt, former Ohio Sen. Howard Metzenbaum's son-in-law, the new cable channel -- formerly Newsworld International -- has the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein on board as a major cash cow, as well as big DNC fundraiser Ron Burkle. Both former President Bill Clinton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson sit on Burkle's company board. Gore was down in New Orleans to make the announcement...

The Observer has learned that the deal for former Vice President Al Gore and his business partner Joel Hyatt to acquire digital-cable channel Newsworld International (NWI) has hit a major obstacle and may have fallen through in the 11th hour of negotiations. Sources familiar with the situation said that one of Mr. Gore's crucial investors got cold feet in the last stage of the deal and that Mr. Gore's group and the channel's owner, Vivendi Universal Entertainment, could not agree on a price. Mr. Gore's group was said to be paying around $70 million for Newsworld. Reached for comment, and...

...The PUC had had no consumer representation, and one had hoped that Davis would appoint a consumer advocate to the board. Instead, he rewarded big labor for its contributions by selecting Carl W. Wood, an official with the Utility Workers Union. The other appointee is the wealthy lawyer, Joel Z. Hyatt. Hyatt has had his own problem with some consumers who sued him over the services provided by his Hyatt Legal Services, which specialized in massive television advertising of low-cost legal advice. He has nothing to do with the hotel chain of that name, which sued him over what the...

Call him Al Gore, media baron. The former vice president is close to striking a $70 million deal to acquire Newsworld International, a tiny cable network owned by French media giant Vivendi Universal, media sources said. Gore and his backers want to turn the digital channel into a liberal-leaning network. His partners include ex-Democratic fund-raiser Joel Hyatt and media investment banker Steve Rattner, who's said to be lining up financing. Carried in just 20 million homes, NWI airs newscasts from around the world, including reports from the Canadian Broadcasting Co. The net is part of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, the show...