Pushed by US, Qatar may sell Al Jazeera TV

“We have recently added new members to the Al Jazeera editorial board, and one of their tasks is to explore the best way to sell it,” said the Qatari official, who said he could be more candid if he was not identified. “We really have a headache, not just from the US but from advertisers and from other countries as well.” Asked if the sale might dilute Al Jazeera’s content, the official said, “I hope not.”

Estimates of Al Jazeera’s audience range from 30 million to 50 million, putting it well ahead of its competitors. But that success does not translate into profitability, and the station relies on a big subsidy from the Qatari government, which in the past has explored ways to sell it. The official said Qatar hoped find a buyer within a year.

Its coverage has disturbed not only Washington, but also Arab governments. Officials have been nervous to talk about it but acknowledged the US pressure on the station—highlighted when Qatar was not invited to a summit meeting on the future of democracy in last summer in Georgia.

“It’s completely two-faced for the US to try to muzzle the one network with the most credibility in West Asia, even if it does sometimes say things that are wrong,” said an Arab diplomat. —NYT