Goodbye Aljazeera America

Is there any explanation offered regarding the early closure? On 13 January 2016 they had announced operational shutdown effective 30 April 2016.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/al-jazeera-america-shut-down-855477

...." Its ratings were horrifically low. Critics inside and out protested it was boring, tepid, old school, too objective, not objective enough, or way too Americanized to be interesting. Reports of low morale in the newsroom abound. It was also embroiled in numerous lawsuits, including damaging accusations of workplace bias and gender discrimination, and more recently, defaming professional athletes.

What really doomed Al Jazeera America from the beginning was its decision to offer straight, sober journalism via legacy cable and satellite TV carriers, distribution platforms on which such a product is fast becoming extinct. Al Jazeera America was also quasi-commercial at best, but the gatekeeping companies it had to appease are highly commercial."....

Maybe they will surface in another format...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/01/14/this-is-what-doomed-al-jazeera-america/

Might those low ratings be the result of America's stereotypical "fears" of things Moslem associated?

I was first exposed to them on my second combat deployment. They earned my respect as a trusted news source. During a few more trips over, they were my go-to. I was excited when I heard they were coming over, but shocked that they didn't change their name - knowing full-well the extent of America's Islamaphobia. That's what did them in, an assumption of what they were led to people never even considering tuning-in. *sigh* It was great while it lasted... actual news as opposed to America's talking-head, editorial, partisan, over-sensationalized crap we have.

Thank goodness for DVR's... the few decent news programs that are left but I can never seem to watch during airing get recorded and watched in a news binge at some point later on.

There's still the BBC.

http://www.aljazeera.com/watch_now/

Any idea of Al Gores' relationship, the 65 million dollar lawsuit, , Ron Burkle et al ? Gore was pulling down $ 1.2 million a year from Current TV that, at best, was a loser..But hey! Al always gets his...

Looks like they bought into a loosing proposition had nothing but problems, probably felt the pinch from lower oil prices withheld payments, probably some struggle with Western business practices and rules, now everybody is suing everybody else and everything is tied up in gridlock, and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_TV

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/09/19/al-jazeera-response-gore-lawsuit/15879927/

To add a little insult to injury Bright House Networks isn't even broadcasting their last day on the air. Today is their last day and they have several specials planned and the on-air people will give their reflections and goodbyes. Bright House ($150/month for no premium channels and medium speed internet) has posted on both AJA channels "Al Jazeera America has shut down and is no longer telecasting as of April 12, 2016". With all the millions of dollars they collect each month in their no-competition market it would have been nice if they would have taken a moment to get this one right.

I don't miss this program AT ALL!

I watched several programs they aired when they first came on. They were talking about all the supposed "real" ethnic problems America had, with whites hating blacks, whites hating muslims, America's rampant poverty problems. Then, stories about how America supposedly brought upon itself all this hatred by muslims. Then, stories about muslims wanting to have their own set of laws apart from our Constitution....and treating that as a real, valid, concern and right.

In short, I saw repeated stories very soft, or totally ignoring, the problems of Islam, hard on other problems, with a smattering of real fact-based stories thrown in for "good measure".

And, as for "Islamophobes", how about Christophobes? No such word as "Islamophobe". And, since when do we call a "fear" (phobia) something we actually detest? If you hate the smell and look of dog poop, do you call that a phobia? If you really dislike folks who defraud the welfare system, don't work, don't want a job, are driving luxury cars and living in 4000-square-foot houses at taxpayer expense.....do you say you have a "phobia" of folks who defraud the welfare system or the taxpayers? What do you call them, defraud-o-phobes?? Homophobes......Islamophobes...pure stupidity, and nothing but labels made up and branded by intolerant, fact-challenged, ignorant, destructive, unproductive, short-sighted people who really do need to get a job and a real life!

It's good to see that you aren't prejudiced and practice tolerance.

And, good to see you can't read.

Nor, do you know the true definitions of prejudiced or tolerance.

Get a life. Go back to school.

Thank you, for so eloquently proving my point.

Yes, that truly you can't read. You don't know basic definitions. Out of your own ignorance, you label people. You have no life.

Nowhere in my comments did I ever call anyone names, as you do. I gave specific reasons to back up my opinion. You do not.

If you disagree with someone, anyone, you say they are intolerant (I guess that is your definition....."intolerant" of your baseless opinion makes them intolerant.) and continue with a stale political tactic of liberals. That tactic is to be the first to label, and accuse others of what you are doing first. Supposedly, to put others on the defensive as a way of defending an indefensible position. Sorry. Just doesn't work.

You, my friend, are exposed.