TORONTO – International news channel Al Jazeera English took to the Canadian airwaves Tuesday on Bell TV, Rogers and Videotron.
Additionally, the channel announced plans to open its first Canadian bureau in Toronto next month, a move that it says “signifies the channel’s commitment to presenting Canadian news and perspective to a global audience”.
"We are extremely pleased that AJE’s groundbreaking news and programming is now available in Canada, one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world”, said AJE managing director Tony Burman, in a statement. “Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Canada and hear first-hand the great demand for the channel. I believe that our cutting-edge reporting and programming will fill an important void by bringing another voice in international news to this important market. This is an exciting first step in bringing AJE to Canada, and we hope to announce additional carriage deals in the near future."
AJE is available immediately to Bell TV subscribers on channel 516, on Rogers systems in Ontario on channel 176, and on Vidéotron illico Digital TV on channel 173. Videotron will offer a free preview of AJE for the next three months, through August 4, 2010.
During the first weeks of May, AJE said that it will report from across the country on Canadian issues such as Canada’s role in Afghanistan and what Canada’s departure in 2011 will mean for NATO; Canada’s oil sands project including an examination of its environmental impact, and reports from Alberta on life at Fort McMurray; and a report from Winnipeg on how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings will impact the nation’s aboriginal people.
The CRTC added Al Jazeera English to its digital lists of eligible satellite services in November.
Based in Doha, Qatar, the channel launched in 2006 with the aim of providing independent and impartial news for a global audience. AJE has more than 1000 employees worldwide, representing more than 50 nationalities – including many from Canada – and more than 70 news bureaus around the world.
