One of the most surprising revelations in a call today with
interim Al Jazeera CEO Ehab El Shihabi and president of newsgathering Kate O'Brian
was that, unlike its more ad-heavy competitors, Al Jazeera America will have only six minutes
per hour of commercials when it launches on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
According to adweek.com, El Shihabi described the limited
advertising as "one of our key competitive advantages," emphasizing
the company's commitment to serious news over punditry and movie stars.
"There will be less opinion, less yelling, and fewer
celebrity sightings," said El Shihabi. "We are not
infotainment."
The exec asserted forcefully that the programming would
satisfy a huge, untapped audience. "We know that there is a desire for the
kind of journalism we will have on Al Jazeera America ," he said.
"Americans want to have more in-depth coverage and less opinion; that is
what we will have, and that is how Al Jazeera operates."
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