FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles
Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 fm to Broadcast
News from Al Jazeera English
February 2, 2011 – North Hollywood, CA. In light of the continuing uprising unfolding in Cairo, Egypt, Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 fm will carry a 30-minute news broadcast from Al Jazeera English this week from 6 to 6:30 p.m. (PST). KPFK was originally scheduled to launch Al Jazeera English starting in mid March 2011, but given the dramatic events in the Middle East, station management decided to run content from the news channel immediately to provide an additional voice and perspective from the region to the communities of Southern California. Al Jazeera English is generally not available in the United States except on Pacifica Radio.
Last December Pacifica Radio announced that it would carry news coverage from Al Jazeera English, the award-winning 24-hour international news and current affairs channel. The decision, which brings Al Jazeera English for the first time to radio audiences in North America, reinforces Pacifica’s commitment to airing fresh and diverse perspectives and to presenting accurate, objective, comprehensive news on the vital issues that the world faces today. Al Jazeera English broadcasts from the four strategic locations of Doha, Qatar; Washington, DC; London, England; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Al Jazeera English has 65 bureaus around the world.
The listener-supported community radio network broadcasts one hour of news from Al Jazeera English in three markets: KPFA in Berkeley; WBAI in New York; and KPFT in Houston. Al Jazeera English will be carried by KPFK in Los Angeles starting mid March 2011, and it will subsequently be made available to Pacifica affiliates.
“Al Jazeera English’s news and programming is an exciting addition to our current line-up of thought-provoking programming,” said Arlene Engelhardt, executive director of the Pacifica Foundation. “It is part of our mission at Pacifica to act as a bridge between cultures and to present stories that are too often overlooked by other media in the United States. Al Jazeera English is a truly global channel, and we are pleased to provide this important news service to our dedicated listeners throughout the country.”
Since it was launched in 2006, Al Jazeera English has become a world leader in the coverage of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. With a staff of more than 1,000 from 50 different countries, the channel's aim is to provide independent and impartial news for an international audience. It is widely seen as the channel of reference for coverage of the Middle East and global south. Its broadcasts reach more than 220 million households in more than 100 countries around the world.
“Broadcasting on Pacifica Radio allows us to bring Al Jazeera English’s acclaimed news content to an even wider audience in the United States,” said Al Anstey, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English. “For nearly four years, Al Jazeera English has been setting new standards in international reporting by providing a platform for stories from the under-represented corners of the world. The demand for our ground-breaking news and current affairs programming continues to grow in the United States, and we look forward to providing Pacifica’s listeners with a global perspective on today’s most important news events.”
The new content rounds out Pacifica’s roster of news programs, which include “Democracy Now!” with Amy Goodman, Free Speech Radio News, local news programs, and in Houston, news from the BBC World Service. The first listener-supported network in the United States, Pacifica provides a variety of programming including local, national and international news and music featuring live music from local musicians; and in-depth interviews and public affairs analysis unavailable elsewhere (see stations’ web sites for details on their program schedules).
For Information Contact:
Alan Minsky
KPFK Interim Program Director
(818) 749-9497
aminsky@kpfk.org
www.KPFK.org
Arlene Engelhardt, Executive Director
Pacifica Foundation
1925 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-1037
510-849-2590, ext. 208
510-402-9880 (cell)
510-849-2617 (fax)
arlene@pacifica.org
About Al Jazeera English
Al Jazeera English is the first English language world news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Launched in November 2006, Al Jazeera English seeks to present every side and every angle to its stories and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access, making it the channel of reference for Middle East events, and 65 bureaus strategically placed around the world, Al Jazeera English provides independent and impartial news for a global audience, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.
Al Jazeera English is available in more than 100 countries to more than 220 million households worldwide. The channel was awarded “Best 24 Hour News Programme” at the 48th and 50th Annual Monte Carlo Television Festival and has received awards from the Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube. The channel has also received a total of six International Emmy nominations in the News, Documentary and Current Affairs categories.
Al Jazeera began in 1996 as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. Al Jazeera was formally named the Al Jazeera Network in March 2006, transforming its operation into an international media corporation – the Al Jazeera Network now consists of the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera.net (the English and Arabic web sites), the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile.
Visit www.aljazeera.net/english for more details.
For information on Al Jazeera contact:
Molly Conroy: +1 202 496 4530
Molly.Conroy@aljazeera.net
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