Al Jazeera purchases Current TV, plans to launch new channel

The Qatar based news outlet Al Jazeera announced this week that they have purchased Current TV, a poorly rated channel co-founded by Al Gore, giving them access to a much broader American audience.

Al Jazeera, the Arab broadcaster funded by the government of Qatar, will launch a new network out of New York City, and expand its presence here in the states. The move marks the end for Current TV which has long failed to acquire much of an audience. Al Gore and the station’s founder and CEO Joel Hyatt issued a statement yesterday saying, “We are proud and pleased that Al Jazeera, the award-winning international news organization, has bought Current TV.”

As of right now Al Jazeera’s channel is available only in select markets but the acquisition of Current could allow them to reach nearly 60 million homes. Unfortunately not all cable carriers are happy about the hand over. Time Warner Cable released a statement yesterday saying that they have terminated their relationship with Current and will no longer be carrying the channel.