Al Jazeera scrap ‘US-style’ schedule
January 19, 2015
By Chris Forrester
Al Jazeera Americas (AJA) is to completely rework its entire broadcast schedule. Out will go the hour-long special documentary and speciality programmes to be replaced with rolling live newscasts.
Trade magazine Variety is reporting that a memo issued to all staff on January 16th said that “News is at the heart of Al Jazeera and our strong advantage in the market is embodied in our 24/7 live news programmes”.
Ehab Al Shihabi, AJA’s CEO, said the channel will now have an average of 14 hours a day of live news from the broadcaster’s newsrooms in New York, London or its Qatar HQ in Doha.
A two-hour live morning show that will be telecast from 7am-9am is also being planned.