Al-Jazeera English coming to Canada

Tired of the same old news? Canadian news watchers won’t have to wait much longer to get a more diverse international news presence emanating from their television sets: It was announced earlier today that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has granted permission for Ethnic Channels Group Ltd., a Toronto-based satellite service, to carry Al-Jazeera English, according CBC News.

AJE, the English-language news service of the larger broadcaster, Al-Jazeera, was launched in 2006 and now has become a “world leader in the coverage of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas,” according to CNW Group. This could be great for Canadians who are tired of the same old Westernized news coverage, especially since the recent economic crisis has caused many news outfits to scale back their foreign coverage.

In addition to potentially filling in a gaping hole in the broadcast news available to Canadians, AJE may also offer a leg-up to a few out-of-work reporters. AJE plans to open a Canada bureau soon, making it the only international news channel with a bureau in Canada.

Sounds like a double-win to me.

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by Melissa Wilson

Melissa Wilson was the Managing Editor for the Summer 2010 issue of the Ryerson Review of Journalism.