Al-Jezeera Coming to your living room

[n_v]

Apparently the CRTC has approved the Arab news channel to broadcast in our country. There will be restrictions but I don't know about this. I feel that this station is more propoganda and just invite more extremism. What do make of this?

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/07/15/jazeera040715.html

 

[n_v]

You afraid that they may have a POV that you do not agree with?

Not at all. it's just it seems to me that they come off a little too extreme and are the public voice for Osama and the rest of those wackos

 

[happygrump]

Rogers Cable has said that the possible restrictions on showing Al Jazeera content - specifically, information slanted and targeted against Jews - means that there's a good chance that Rogers may simply not bother. It's by no means decided yet, but it will be a business decision. How much advertising revenue will a Canadian running of Al Jazeera generate?

 

[mrpolarbear]

I have there website in my favorites. I like to visit all kinds of news sites that way you can make up your own mind on who is slanting what. to me its just another channell if you dont want to watch it dont. Half of our problem here in the west is we really don't understand their part of the world cause we only see it through the eyes of the western media. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Talerion]

The owners of Rogers are Jewish...........just a fact.

Are you sure Ted Rogers is Jewish?

Either way Rogers was one of the biggest forces behind pressing to get the service allowed in so it doesn't sound like they are uninterested in carrying it. I'm not sure how big of a market there is, I believe I heard on either CFRB or CFTR that the total market is around 400,000?

It is difficult to say what type of actual allegiance they have. Obviously they have a pro Arab spin, but it isn't as if Western media doesn't have it owns pro-west spin. I believe it is probably a mistake to assume that because various Arab terrorist groups send their notifications/videos/press releases to Al-Jezeera that it means they are in league with them any more than one could argue that if Son of Sam sent his follow up notes to the New York Times that they were in cohoots with him.


I just wonder if it will be translated/sub-tittled or spoken in a language most of us cannot understand like Tele-Latino or BBC Canada?


T.

 

[Drunken Master]

Re: Re: Al-Jezeera Coming to your living room

Have you ever watched it???

Good question.

I saw the preview to Control Room when I went to see Fahrenheit 911. Looked very, very good.

 

[gala]

Judging from their website only, Al Jazeera seems reasonably fair and balanced to me. They don't come across as crackpot or extremist and certainly not the voice of any terrorist organization.

They're willing to pass on controversial stuff when they get it, statements, video tapes, etc., from influential extremists, but I have never seem them do anything other than say, "here is what he said".

I like that we will now have the "other side's" perspective because really, they SHOULDN'T be the other side. Sooner or later we have to learn to understnad what people in other parts of the world think; this is a good start.

 

[maxim4]

hmmmmmmmmmmm....................political issues!
becareful before we all end up in room 101!

 

[Talerion]

Re: Different channels, different truths

I think it's worth getting, subtitles or not. Images alone are powerful enough, and Al Jazeera is often first in breaking news, releasing Al-Qaeda video, and uncensored war footage, rather than the candy coated Western versions which just make us look like mindless and weak pussies. We must know our enemies in order to defeat them, right? They seem to have more balls than us, I'm afraid..........

For a sample, first try the website:
http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
For a preview of a new film about Al Jazeera/CNN/media distortion:
http://www.controlroommovie.com/site/01.html

Re: Rogers: I would not make statements/claims unless I was absolutely sure. Someone I know recently married a Rogers family member, and he had to wear a yarmulke in order to gain entry. Listen to some of the news channels they own and you can hear all about how wonderful Isreal savings bonds are.
Being Jewish is not the issue, supressing information is the problem. Whether it's biased or not is for the public alone to decide........

I wasn't suggesting you were lying about Ted Rogers being Jewish. But in point of fact his organization led the cable groups in lobbying the CRTC to let this service into the country.

At the same time it isn't like Al-Jezeera is going to be the 24 Hour Beheading Channel either... "all beheading all the time". I was listening to one of their spokesman today and he was saying that while they do 'scoop' the other media groups with the information that they get from terrorist groups they do not simply take a tape or a statement and play/read it. It has to be proven as newsworthy and not simply political. One has question how fundamentalist they are since they do have female journalists and announcers.

They also do regular news as well, for the most part in fact so we can't forget that much of their programming is going to be as interesting to the average Canadian viewer as watching some BBC announcer read the teir C soccer results:

"Morninghamwich 1... (pause) Vindaloo nil."

Much like someone bemoaning the fact that CNN doesn't have the neat program on anymore with the guys standing in front of tanks reporting on weather in the desert.

However it will probably be good if for no reason than to provide another perspective.


T.

 

[Talerion]

I like that we will now have the "other side's" perspective because really, they SHOULDN'T be the other side. Sooner or later we have to learn to understnad what people in other parts of the world think; this is a good start.

You raise an excellent point here in that the west needs to learn of that part of the world in terms beyond those of "Islamic Terrorist." They should not be the other side but indeed simply another group of peole who are as pissed off with the majority of terrorist actions as we are. But that is not going to happen when a: so many of west believe them all to be terrorists and b: when they feel that we think of them as inferior to us.

Why should they feel a commonality with us when we so clearly have little but disdain for them. Keeping in mind that the average Muslim is worried about the fact that his left front tire is looking like it might have a slow leak and that his wife's good for nothing brother is showing up for dinner for the 2nd time this week...

... or much like in an inner city ghetto he just found a gun in his teenaged son's room and is concerned that he's joining up with the wrong crowd.


T.

 

[onthebottom]

Just consider the source (no matter what that is) and judge for yourself. Do they need to provide Canadian content or don't you guys do that anymore (hoping for a return of the McKenzie brothers)?

I heard an NPR interview with the director of Control Room, I'd like to see that, anyone seen it?

OTB

 

[james t kirk]

Re: Different channels, different truths

Re: Rogers: I would not make statements/claims unless I was absolutely sure. Someone I know recently married a Rogers family member, and he had to wear a yarmulke in order to gain entry. Listen to some of the news channels they own and you can hear all about how wonderful Isreal savings bonds are.
Being Jewish is not the issue, supressing information is the problem. Whether it's biased or not is for the public alone to decide........

Rogers is jewish???

Must have changed the name then. Wouldn't completely surprise me.

But rogers is also a publically traded company. Mind you, he has never made a dime for his share holders and is choking the the blue jays.

I hate that new uniform / logo.

 

[Berlin]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/07/15/jazeera040715.html

As long as they run by the same rules and regulations under CRTC , I have no problem with them. Al-Jezeera is just another news channel afterall.

I do feel bad for RAI and their supporters though.
The Canadian target market for RAI is much larger than Al-Jezeera's , which warrants priority IMO, and it's just too bad that the parties, including TLN, couldn't work out some arrangement between themselves.

 

[Pallydin]

I do feel bad for RAI and their supporters though.
The Canadian target market for RAI is much larger than Al-Jezeera's , which warrants priority IMO, and it's just too bad that the parties, including TLN, couldn't work out some arrangement between themselves.

The thing is that RAI programming is already available on a wide array of existing channels, whereas there is nowhere with Al-Jezeera (for obvious reason, of course). I think this becomes a matter of the CRTC creating a *range* of choice when possible and approving RAI didn't become a necessity under that criterion. If there was no channels showing RAI content already, they likely would have been approved as AJ was in the name of creating choice.

PAL

 

[booboobear]

I have there website in my favorites. I like to visit all kinds of news sites that way you can make up your own mind on who is slanting what. to me its just another channell if you dont want to watch it dont. Half of our problem here in the west is we really don't understand their part of the world cause we only see it through the eyes of the western media. I hope that makes sense.

I agree let's get both sides of the story.I'm not sure if I will ever agree with their way of thinking but let us decide the truth not just cnn's or george bush's truth.

I think our problem is trying to get muslims to think like us.
Just leave them alone , let them do their thing.If they want democracy they should decide.

Oh by the way it would be also nice if ALL muslims got to here our side of the story as I think their media is censored also, at least Iraqs was.

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

Al Jazeera actually has a very storied history, and those who pointed out that it has tickled the rage of lots of anti-democratic Arab leaders are correct.

Personally, I think Fox is more damaging to the psyche than Al Jazeera.

Bring it on. Let the people decide.

 

[peteeey]

The owners of Rogers are Jewish...........just a fact.

It's a fact that you're a bigot. You also probably believe that all Jews are ardent supporters of Israel.

Wait, maybe you're right. Look at all the Zionist organizations Mr. Rogers belongs to:

TED ROGERS(Edward Samuel Rogers). Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 27 May 1933. Educated at the Upper Canada College in Toronto; The University of Toronto, Trinity College, B.A., 1956; Osgoode Law School, LL.B., 1961. Married Loretta Anne Robinson, 1963, children: Lisa Anne, Edward Samuel, Melinda Mary, and Martha Loretta. Read law for Tory, Tory, DesLauriers & Binnington; called to bar of Ontario, 1962; established Rogers Communications in 1967; currently president and CEO of Rogers Communications, Inc.; also a director of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Canada Publishing Corporation, the Hull Group, Wellesley Hospital, and Junior Achievement of Canada. Address: P.O. Box 249, Toronto-Dominion Centre, Suite 2600, Commercial Union Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1J5

 

[booboobear]

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. Keeping in mind that the average Muslim is worried about the fact that his left front tire is looking like it might have a slow leak and that his wife's good for nothing brother is showing up for dinner for the 2nd time this week...

... or much like in an inner city ghetto he just found a gun in his teenaged son's room and is concerned that he's joining up with the wrong crowd.

T.
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. We live in a great city but we could screw it up if we fail to appreciate such a large and growing segment of our society by listening to those who have an anti-Arab, or anti-Islamic agenda. The war on terror shouldn't ever sway us against what we're really all about here.

Nothing succeeds like success so, the more culturally aware we become, the more likely we are to embrace this variety and simply not feel that sense of "otherness" in the company of foreigners

True words of wisdom well spoken . For too long a lot of canadians felt they were superior to " foreigners " because they dressed differently or spoke a different language.
Viva the cultural differences and the food.

 

[loaded]

I dont know what the whole fuss is about, dont like it dont watch it....
If FOX, RUI, and Al-Jazeera want a liscence give it to them, the market and people will decide whether its worthy.... As for censorship, no limits, let it all out, let it all be discussed.... nobody was bothered by John Hagee and Pat robertson for their racist views for years.... oh but oh anti-semitisim is different more important kind of racism............either sencor all and you have china, or let it all fly....and with time people will come to understand.......bla bla bla......

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

Re: Occupation means war

Of course I expected to be labeled a bigot in a very typical display of defensive posturing.
I confirmed with Rogers today that they will not be carrying Al Jazeera, and in fact are currently investigating the origins of the FALSE statement that they were a key factor in it's CRTC approval.
Mr. Rogers may indeed posess an impressive CV, but that does not void the fact that he uses his vast media empire and financial power to peddle influence and suppress what he does not like, such as Al Jazeera, and promote what he does, such as the current right wing Isreali leadership, builders of the Berlin style Wall of Apartheid, as well as a stauch supporter of the former leader of the right wing Alliance Party, Mr. Stephen Harper, who during his failed Federal election campaign threw out the firstpitch during a Toronto Blue Jays game, the team which Mr. Rogers owns.
For the record: Rogers is right wing, I am left, and I love liberal Jews........
End the occupations of Palestine and Iraq, so that there will be peace!

http://www.sinfulselina.has.it

This is a silly post.

If you're going to pin someone "Jewish" for influence peddling, nail Izzy Asper. But not Ted, sorry.

Ted's philanthropy across the board is very well known, and his greatest sin is simply outdated management, not any sort of scheming.