Radio / Television News

Al Jazeera International hires Canadian anchor


WASHINGTON – Global National’s Washington correspondent Kimberly Halkett has been hired as weekend news anchor for 24-hour news channel Al Jazeera International at its Washington D.C. broadcast centre.

"We are very pleased to have Kimberly Halkett (right) joining us, as she is not only a skillful news presenter, but also a dogged and effective reporter – and, due to her provenance, and as she is a Canadian, Kimberly will ensure that we keep the entire region within our editorial perspective," said the channel’s Washington Bureau chief, Will Stebbins, in a release.

Al Jazeera International is the new English-language offshoot of the Middle Eastern Arabic language channel Al Jazeera. The original is approved for carriage in Canada (albeit with restrictions so onerous no cable company would carry it) but the new international version is not.

"In North America there is a thirst for international news stories that right now are not being told. The opportunity to be a part of a news network that strives to quench that desire for stories from around the globe is one I could not pass up,’ said Halkett, in the release.

She has been a correspondent for Global National and as a reporter, covered dozens of major news stories including the 2004 U.S. Presidential election and the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Prior to that, Victoria-born Halkett lived and worked in Washington D.C., working as a correspondent for the Fox network’s prime time program, America’s Most Wanted. She got her start in 1996 with BCTV.