TORONTO - The English-language arm of the controversial channel Al-Jazeera is seeking permission to broadcast in Canada, and if it wins approval the station would also open a Canadian news bureau, the managing director of Al-Jazeera English said Tuesday.
Tony Burman said the all-news channel, based in Doha, Qatar, hopes to be up and running here by the fall. He credited the channel's recent coverage of the Israeli-Gaza war, which included exclusive material from Gaza, with significantly raising its North American profile and fostering a demand for international news.
"That was an important breakthrough for us and a lot of people I think really took notice," Burman, former editor-in-chief of the CBC, said of the Gaza coverage.
"We know that from our website, there's (been) an incredible jump (in traffic). A lot of Americans -- and Canadians, for that matter -- are now aware of Al-Jazeera English when perhaps two months ago they weren't."
Al-Jazeera English is distinct from the Arabic channel that drew controversy for its news coverage in the days following 9-11.
Often referred to as the "CNN of the Arab world," Al-Jazeera Arabic frequently obtained exclusive messages and videotaped statements from militants in Iraq and al-Qaida. It was also often demonized by the U.S. Bush administration for its critical coverage of the West, but Burman said those controversies would not -- and should not -- affect the English channel's bid.
"There's a debate about Al-Jazeera Arabic. I think the accusations directed to it are nonsense, but it's a bit of a side issue," said Burman, drawing an analogy to three British media outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
"If you look at the Times of London, you don't focus on Sky News or the Sun newspaper to assess whether or not you like the Times of London."
Burman said he expected the broadcast application to be submitted this week to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The review process includes a 30-day period in which the CRTC must ask Canadians what they think of the proposal.
This is the first time the channel, which launched in November 2006 as the first English-language news channel based in the Middle East, has sought permission to broadcast in Canada. Ethnic Channels Group, a multi-ethnic broadcaster with 12 channels in Canada, will present the application to the CRTC as sponsor of Al-Jazeera English.
In 2003, Al-Jazeera Arabic won a Canadian broadcast licence but the conditions imposed were so restrictive that cable companies chose not to carry it, Burman said.
While the Arabic version is focused much more on the Middle East, the English channel includes coverage of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Burman said Al-Jazeera English has one of the most diverse news services in the world, noting that it and Al-Jazeera Arabic have a total of 69 news bureaus, more than either the BBC or CNN.
"This comes at a time when, for financial reasons, so many news organizations are shutting foreign bureaus and are really cutting back on international resources. I think in that sense, Al-Jazeera English is trying to fill the vacuum," he said.
Al-Jazeera English already broadcasts in more than 100 countries, including some cities in the United States.
