Al-Jazeera, the panArabic satellite television channel, ascended to the world stage after 11

September 2001, through the exclusive coverage of the war in Afghanistan. Al-Jazeera, which in
Arabic means `the Peninsula', arose in 1996 from the ashes of the defunct London-based BBC Arabic
television network, which was set up by the BBC in partnership with the Saudi government to
establish a pan-Arab television service, with a view to dominating the Arab TV market. several key
Arab journalists who worked for BBC Arabic were attracted to a new Arab-based news network,
meeting their aspirations for an independent Arab voice on the world television scene.

The channel started by broadcasting daily news and current affairs as well as discussion and
documentary programmes from Qatar, a tiny country in the Gulf region. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa,
the new Emir of Qatar, recognizing the need for a distinctive pan-Arabic news network broadcasting
from Qatar, he allocated an initial amount of $150 million as a five-year loan from the Qatari ruling
family to establish the channel.

The channel has become the most independent TV station in the region and essential viewing for
millions both in the Middle East and among the Arab diaspora. The success of Al-Jazeera can partly
be attributed to the kinds of programmes it broadcasts, for example, giving airtime to critical voices
from political parties, the academic community or human rights activists, and, in the process,
provoking many Arab leaders. The channel was already popular in the Arab world and among
diasporic Arab communities long before those events. Its programmes re¯ect the notion of public
service broadcasting as pioneered by the BBC. The weekly talk shows and discussion programmes
often tackle crucial, yet taboo subjects, like human rights, democracy and political corruption,
women's freedom, banned political groups, polygamy, torture and rival interpretations of Islamic
teachings.
The coverage of the tragic events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath provided Al-Jazeera
with a unique opportunity to make its presence felt outside the Arab world. Its capacity to provide
live coverage from the theatre of war in Afghanistan and its determination to show pictures of death
and destruction not seen on Western television networks angered the United States government,
which tried in a number of ways to put heavy pressure on the channel to tone down its coverage.

PROGRAMMES

Al-Jazeera appeals to Arab viewers with a variety of programmes, including home news, world news,
sports, business analysis, documentaries, historical events, women's issues, religion, etc.

There was a live discussion programme; one-on-one interview on topical issues; `Without Limits',
invites notable Muslim scholars to talk about issues and debate about religion; an investigative
series relying on `tangible evidence and expert analysis' called Top Secret; For Women Only, a
discussion programme geared primarily towards women. On programmes like `Opposite Direction'
the floor is opened for free and often noisy debate on some of the most sensitive issues in Arab
society such as human rights, Arab-Israeli conflict, gender equality and democracy. Other Arab
channels would not even consider screening such discussions, which might result in floods of
telephone calls or criticism in the press or even encourage protests in the streets.

CREATION OF A PUBLIC SPHERE

One can argue that this new public space could contribute to the construction of a `public sphere'
for Arab audiences and facilitate a pan-Arab debate on issues relevant to the region and help in
reshaping a meaning for a global citizenship. Audiences have started to discuss issues not only
relevant to their home countries but to other Arab or Muslim nations. Satellite networks like Al-
Jazeera have provided a forum for Arab viewers and created a platform from which to express
themselves.

LIVE PROGRAMMING

Another important aspect of the channel is its emphasis on live programming. In 2002, it had seven
live programmes each week that allow phone-in and live participation by the audiences. This
interactivity has helped increase its subscription base among the diasporic audience.

The availability of on-line communication has further widened AlJazeera's audience base. Its of®cial
website (www.aljazeera.net) has made considerable progress since its launch on 1 January 2001.
After 11 September 2001, aljazeera.net became even more popular and the number of visits to the
site substantially increased. During the month of October 2001, the number of web pages viewed
soared from 600,000 per day before the 11 September to more than one million pages per day.

BACKLASH IN THE ARAB WORLD

Al-Jazeera's policy of portraying `the opinion and its opposite' has earned it criticism and even wrath
across the Arab world. Kuwait's Information Minister ¯ew to the Qatari capital Doha to complain in
person after a programme on Al-Jazeera criticized his government for its stand on Iraq. Algeria's
regime reportedly shut off electricity in parts of the country rather than allow Algerian television
sets to pick up a debate on the country's bloody civil war. The Jordanian government closed down
Al-Jazeera's news bureau in Amman after a talk show guest accused the late King Hussein of
collaborating with Israel. Tunisia's president called the Emir of Qatar to stop broadcasting a live
programme discussing human rights abuse in Tunisia.

RESPONSE FROM THE WEST

Al-Jazeera came to the notice of Western politicians, journalists and academics when, in 1998, it
broadcast an interview with bin Laden in which he called upon Muslims to target `American
interests', but especially after the events of 11 September 2001, by regularly airing bin Laden's
version of the `war on terrorism'. The station's capacity of providing the `other side of the story'
while covering the war in Afghanistan provoked angry comments by top American diplomats, who
demanded that Al-Jazeera should `tone it down'.

Al-Jazeera's airing of bin Laden's tapes and its coverage of the war in Afghanistan made it pay a high
price when the US military seemed to have deliberately bombed its Kabul of®ce in November 2001.
The channel's correspondent in Washington, Mohammad al-Alami, was detained.

There is a growing concern that Arab satellite television channels headed by AlJazeera have
weakened Arab audiences' interest in Western media services such as Radio Monte Carlo, the BBC
and the VOA.

The question that remains to be answered is whether the world's only superpower would put up
with a daring and different television satellite channel like Al-Jazeera, making its programmes
accessible to a global public and helping to shape its opinions.